Morning thought 3 - Wednesday June 16th
Yesterday I
mentioned how over 20 years ago when with Mustard Seed Jersey I was visiting refugees
from former Yugoslavia some things were challenging others more lighthearted.
Certainly listening to some of the refugees stories was chilling and heartbreaking.
In one of the
refugee houses that we visited in Macedonia I was the only woman in our group
on that occasion. So when one of the female refugees
began to weep as she spoke about her ordeal of being horribly abused by the
soldiers before she fled, it fell to me to try to comfort her. At the time I
felt I failed miserably because I was so appalled by what I’d heard that I just
cried with her and held her while she sobbed.
20 years on and
with the benefit of hindsight I believe I probably did do the right thing in
crying with her. Jesus Christ told his followers that they should laugh with
those who laugh and weep with those who weep.
Based on the Prayer
of Saint Francis of Assisi we pray:
Make me a channel
of your peace Lord. Grant that I may never seek so
much to be consoled as to console. Where there is hatred let me bring your
love. Amen