Fringe on the Hem of His Garment
by Anna Murdock

It was a cold February afternoon.  I glanced his way and then
dismissed him.  My thoughts turned inward as I waited at the stoplight
of one of the city's busiest intersections. Stoplights always seem to
take much longer to change from red to green when heading home after a
very tiring, long day at work.  Oh, if this light would only change
... if I could just make it home ... if I could collapse on my couch
for just a while, I would be OK.  I was drawn away from my own little
world by a soft tap, tap, tapping on the hood of my car.  I looked up
to see him once more.  That man dressed in tattered clothes, fringed
from wear, and a blue toboggan ... pushing his old bicycle.  I could
"see" his breath.  He had stopped directly in front of my car and
tapped on the hood.  Why?  To smile and wave at me.  That's all.  His
huge grin made me smile.  He seemed more than satisfied with his
mission when I waved back at him.  So he peddled on and stopped at the
corner for a while as if he had squatter's rights.  It was rush hour
traffic and he attempted to wave at every car that passed.  Car after
car went through the intersection and I saw driver after driver wave
and smile because of this one man.  How fortunate I was to be trapped
at the red light that afternoon.

Some days we are not as needy as others and we take for granted these
small, healing gestures of kindness offered to us.  But there are
those other days, those times when we hope for something.  We find
ourselves clinging to those moments of kindness and healing.  We work
with people in need of  a touch.  We walk by others in need of a
smile.  We worship with those whose needs are the same.  And we are
those people as well.  People who quietly search the crowds for that
one individual who shows the very sensitivity of Jesus in the midst of
their demanding, hemorrhaging world.  People in need of healing just
for that moment.  People in need of touching the hem of Jesus' garment.

Jesus has asked us to be the "fringe" on the hem of his garment in a
pushing, shoving, crowded, pressing, hemorrhaging world.  He has asked
us to stop, to turn, to reach out, to open our hearts.  He has asked
us to provide a gentle healing touch to those who are in need of
acceptance, forgiveness, love and understanding.

We can all remember those times of our own great needs when someone
offered a smile to us.  The memory still remains.  Or those times when
a touch on the shoulder or a hug was received at just the right
moment.  We can still feel it.  These are moments of gentle healing
from those who have said, "Yes, I will be the fringe on the hem of his
garment".

Holy, Healing Lord ...  In our great hurry, stop us ... turn us around
... place within us a sensitivity to those who are reaching out for
just a touch of the hem of your garment.   Give us compassion.  Give
us eyes to see the one who is making his/her way through the crowds
for just a glimpse of you, just a touch from you, just a brush of
fringe from your hem.  Thank you for the moments, in the past and now,
when we have found healing.  Help us to be a portion of the fringe on
the hem of your garment ... a healing offering of hope for others. Amen.

(Comments to Anna at abmurdo@gmail.com.)
Worship Team Leader
Broad Street UMC
Statesville, NC