Reflection
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
-Luke 6:9-10
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
Sometimes, life just doesn’t make sense, and I must act hoping I am doing the right action. A good friend of mine whom I’ve known and loved for years, died yesterday. His passing was not a surprise. He had been in hospice, and we knew it was coming. I got the message just before working on the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle. My friend and a few others have met faithfully for many years to solve this puzzle together. We used to meet at a local coffee house and do it in person. Then when one of our members moved away, we started doing it online. Such good times!
The day my friend died, the puzzle was all about pennies and included familiar sayings like Ben Franklin’s oft quoted: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” My friend and I had very different ideas about many of life’s issues including pennies. Our difference around pennies is best expressed for me in song by Malvina, “It’s just like a magic penny, Hold it tight and you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many They’ll roll all over the floor.” Without divulging which side of the coin either of us were on, suffice it to say, we remained friends and when we worked the puzzle together, we made a great team.
God, thank you for those around me who think differently, but still love me and are willing to work with me on life’s puzzles (issues) you give us to solve today. Thank you for the example of Jesus the apostle Luke gives us in today’s scripture selection. Help me not judge anyone, especially those who don’t think like me, trusting that if we continue to love and play the game with each other, all of life’s puzzles will be solved and your spirit will reign.
