YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
The child wiggled from his mat trying to reach for the toys on the shelf nearby. As he did so, it tipped over, and the trays that held the different educational materials came tumbling down. He got up and ran around the room knocking down more objects.
The class went into chaos as other children copied his behaviors. After much effort, I was able to isolate his mat and laid him back down. I stroked his hair and rubbed his back as I sang softly:
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away.
The child squirmed for a few minutes then laid still. To my surprise, he turned to look at me. We locked eyes; my singing became almost a whisper.
Then suddenly, my heart was filled with so much love for the child. This love was like nothing I’ve known before. I knew it wasn’t coming from me since it was my first day with him. I sensed that the child felt something too because, after two minutes or so, we were still gazing at each other.
Today’s Gospel reminds me of this recent experience. In their own ways: the woman, the scribes, and the Pharisees behaved like the child above. They chose behaviors that disrupted peace, created chaos and caused harm to themselves and to others.
Even while the crowd was testing Him, I imagine that Jesus’ heart was overflowing with love and compassion for each of them.
We entered this Lenten season with a pandemic that fills the entire world with fears, throwing us into chaos and keeping us hiding in isolation. We feel helpless before this invisible enemy. We prayed for help, but God seems to be silent.
The child above needed to be isolated so he could experience Love. In our isolation, and in His seeming silence, might God be inviting us to a love that’s greater than the pandemic that seizes the heart of every person today? Do we have the humility, courage, and trust to enter this silence together?
What if we all take a moment to be still and to listen, might we hear Jesus whispering, "You Are My Sunshine...I’ll always love you...And nothing else could come between…?"
Can we hear His promise? Can we feel His yearning? Will we allow Love to seize and to free us from this pandemic that holds us captive? Will we make room in our hearts to experience Love?
Maddie