We aren’t doing this alone.
When one person hurts or makes a mistake or loses their way, we all are a critical part of helping them return to the merciful embrace of God.
And vice versa.
My twins were born the day after my oldest turned two. And ever since they entered our lives, they have been right in our faces. Like RIGHT there…. well within our personal space.
When they were just learning how to walk, my oldest son was having repeated tantrums. We didn’t know he couldn’t hear, and as we were struggling to figure out what was wrong – lots of miscommunications occurred. And long tantrums were often the result of those miscommunications.
I have one clear memory of me sitting on the floor in my oldest son’s room trying to calm him down. He was crying, I was crying. It was a mess. And at the door, despite my efforts to keep them out, two little heads kept peeking around the corner. I’d shoo them away and watch their little feet wobble down the hallway only to witness them take an abrupt about face and return right back to the door. Over and over they’d push through the barriers and get right in between us, looking up at our faces, and poking at our tears.
They just couldn’t leave us alone.
Isn’t that the love spoken about in today’s readings? Love that pushes through the barriers we set and demands involvement in our lives?
We are not doing this alone.
Or at least we shouldn’t be.
Let us pray this week for the courage to show up for one another even in the messiest of circumstances. And for the openness to let others reach in and poke at our tears and help us move forward in hope.
