Wonderings--January 25

I want to share a story that I read that was originally printed in Christian Century. 

"Some time ago I was approached by a man I’d never met before. I quickly realized that he was frightened. His voice quavered; he was reluctant to hold my gaze. He had in his hand a box, and it was clear that whatever was inside the box was very precious to him. He had a strong accent, and I struggled at first to understand what he was saying. Gradually I learned why he was so scared. 

He told me that he came from a country where democracy was unknown and the rule of law was a joke, where being opposed to the regime was a dangerous thing to be. He had observed many ways in which the government oppressed its people, and he’d compiled a dossier which had got him into trouble. I could almost feel him looking over his shoulder during the conversation.

Eventually I asked him what was in the box. 

With gentle hands, entrusting something very precious to me, he handed it to me. Inside was a small animal. By this point I wouldn’t have been surprised if it were alive. But it turned out to be a toy, to which he’d given it his own name, because he identified with its vulnerability and tenderness. He wanted me to keep the box, and the creature inside it, so that a part of his heart could be safe with me even if the rest of him was in danger in his home country. I said the only words he wanted me to say: 

“Leave it with me.” 

I still have that box. I keep it in the safest that place I know."

This pandemic has altered our lives--and it continues to do so nearly 2 years on. It has caused us to remember and affirm that what we see with our eyes and lives out in the community is not what we will see forever. As we confront the pandemic we remember that God is still with us and we will be with God someday. . . Covid, all the baggage and all struggles that it has brought upon us, won’t last forever. The truth of our lives is hidden with Christ in God and He will be there for us always. He is the one who accompanies us through our days and into the uncertainty that we face.  

As I finish the story that I began above, my mind begins to ask questions. Each question designed to fill in the remainder of the story. 

What became of the frightened man? 

Is he still in danger because he returned? What about his family?  

Is he alive or dead? 

I don’t know the answers to any of these questions, but I can, and we should, join the story-teller. “Leave it with me.” These might be the best words that we can offer when the burdens of another person are placed before us and the tension is so high. 

“Leave it with me” because God is still present whether we are afraid or anxious, whether our fears rule our hearts or we find ourselves steeled by faith. Those words become the words of Jesus when we bow our hearts and silence our minds. “Leave it with me.” 

Blessings

Rev. Derek