Whoever said that the Scriptures were outdated does not live in the same world that I do ! I have just been released from a surprise 6 day stay in the hospital where I was well cared for, albeit without having even ice chips by mouth until the last day. I am recovering at home and now able to focus enough to reflect on both last weeks' readings (which I missed entirely) and this Sunday's. Some of the sentiments of Job and the isolation of those who had leprosy seem a bit too close to home, and that is even without the possibility of my feeling the permanent or negative impact that they withstood.
It is good that our churches and many ministries focus to help specific marginalized groups in modern times. Once serving in a soup kitchen or listening to the real story of someone suddenly homeless is a life changing experience. Sometimes our own circumstances do not allow for such opportunities, however. I think that we need not go past our own families, work place, or parish pew to help alleviate the toll of what being "left out" or feeling alone can take on someone.
Time is one of our most precious earthly gifts and one that we all feel is in short supply. In daily life, a child not having a friend to sit with on the school bus or a teen not making a sports team can be as devastating to him or her as a family having to live on the outskirts of town as in the time of our readings. What about the coworker who skips lunch with the office crowd because finances are too tight to splurge each day or the single mom who can't even stay after Mass for donuts because her children require more than her two arms. Then there are the many, many things that could be offered to any family who has a member who is chronically ill or suddenly taken ill.
If we are too busy to notice that someone around us needs some extra care, well, then we are just too busy ! If we are too busy to share some of our time with someone in need in some way, even a text message or brief call, well, then we are just too busy! As for those who have no connections, group services are wonderful, but it is an individual's caring that will make the difference.
February is heart month and is often focused on love. Love is far more than just romantic exchanges. We are all called to love as Christians, the way Jesus did, by just plain caring. May we all look around us and love one another by caring for one another. Feeling valued is an essential need. It dos not take an organization to fill it... it takes one smile, one shared laugh, and some small kindnesses. May the Lord of love help us become more aware of the opportunities that are right before our eyes so we can respond with a Christian heart.
Perhaps we can start by
noticing the pain of being left out that might be felt by someone
not in a relationship on St. Valentine's Day and extend the gift of
friendship to him or her.
(Comments to Lanie at lanieleblanc@mindspring.com.)