This drawing was done by a young artist named, Bellah. She calls it 'vulnerability'. I was startled when I saw it because I felt as if I could be looking in the mirror. Sunday morning in Baghdad brought a suicide bombing 200 yards from our daughter's front door. 10 Iraqi civilians died. Our daughter was not in the house at the time. She was at a press conference in the Green Zone, the area that had seemed impenetrable only a few weeks ago but which now experiences mortar fire several times a week.
As frightened as I feel for our daughter's safety, I am also conscious of the thousands of Iraqi families who live with this fear on a daily basis - vulnerable to human violence, vulnerable to insecurity and intolerance.
Today the Gospel reading was of the Good Samaritan; "Who is my neighbor?" the young man asks Jesus. The poor man who was beaten and left for dead in a gutter was shown compassion by a man who the victim considered to be an enemy. What would this world look like if we showed compassion to our enemies? What if we were not afraid to let our enemies come very close, close enough to harm us ..... but also close enough to heal our wounds? It might look like a very different kind of vulnerability.
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Some of the Epiphany flock had dinner tonight. We spoke of you and Jim. We all concluded that you both are showing us as parents how to be faithful and know God is with us at all times. Personally you are teaching me a powerful lesson in acknowledging your fears, staying focused in prayer and the acceptance that God will take care of your daughter. My daughter may not be in Baghdad but she is in her own personal struggle. I can borrow your strength and watch you walk through this journey. You have been provided me and others with a new opportunity, as parents of adult children, in how to let go and trust God...thanks so much.
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