Watching the news the other night, we were surprised to learn that river city made it into news of the weird when a picture flashed in front of the screen with a make-shift shrine to the Virgin Mary.....a formation of ice alongside a broken downspout next to an old mobile home from one of our slumlord-owned mobile home parks.
The Latino owners were debating whether or not with the big thaw on the way, if they should take the formation into their ice chest. I wonder what they decided.
Now, I don't mean to poke fun.......I mean it was me that suggested the great opportunity that would be had if my occasional rash formed the image of Mary across my chest.....but, what is it about the Latino culture that they can see Mary in so many objects like windows, clouds, trees, Doritos, etc.?
Is it really a miracle? Or is it a longing for hope, for a miracle? A longing so instilled in a people that they find it because they look for it? I originally planned to do this post a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the more I thought about it......the better lesson I could draw from it.
What if each one of us sought to find the image of Jesus in the world around us? More convicting would be if we sought to find the face of Jesus simply in the people we meet-in our neighbors, friends, family.....those who are hurting......maybe even those we purposefully look away from.
We purposefully look away from...not daring to make eye contact. But what if that was the face of God wanting to look back at you.
What if we took this passage in Matthew 28 seriously:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Are we looking for Jesus? or are we purposefully passing him by?
5 comments:
let me suggest that you google "Our Lady of Guadalupe" to understand why there is such a devotion to Mary among Mexicans.
Just in case you are afraid that you may have to read some Catholic account....just read the secular wickipedia account... hehe! (bird man)
Is it anything like "our lady of perpetual responsibility" church in lake woebegone?
I am somewhat serious!!! at a minimum do what is in the second post! You need to understand the relationship
ok, I have now educated myself on Our Lady of Guadelupe. Interesting. Now this makes cultural sense to me. So, I may become a sort of messianic sign if the image appears in my rash, kinda like the white buffalo to the native american?
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