I have a darling friend, Chester (name changed), who goes to my church. He’s an older man, dark-skinned and missing teeth. If you didn’t know any better, you might think that he was homeless. But, he’s not homeless. He just walks with a bit of a shuffle, wears a scraggly beard, and sometimes smells like cheap cigarette smoke.
The other day, he was tasked with leading a short communion service at the parish.
After the Gospel, he gave a short message.
“The Good News,” he said, when he talks his words kind of slur a little, “is this: that we take care of each other.”
I’m working my way through the Papal bull on the Year of Mercy. The Good News is this: that we take care of each other.
I thought that those words are so simple, but so deep, so profound.
We take care of each other.
The Works of Mercy are just that…caring for each other.
I remember that I glanced around the church after Chester said that–the statues of Mary and Jesus and Joseph and Therese and Anthony…there because they care for us, too.
Here’s some good news, today: we care about each other.
I just loved that line…it still makes me smile a bit. 🙂