GOD’S ALTERNATIVE REALITY​​ 

2​​ Kings 6:8-23  ​​​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 11/19/23 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

SINCE OUR THEME THIS MORNING

IS GOD’S ALTERNATIVE REALITY,​​ ​​ 

​​ 

I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY SHARING A STORY

THAT GIVES A HINT AT WHAT​​ 

AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY​​ 

WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.

​​ 

OUR STORY COMES ​​ 

FROM THE BOOK​​ SPOT OF GRACE,

EDITED BY DAWNA MARKOVA,

CO-CREATOR OF THE MOVEMENT

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.

IN THIS BOOK, PAUL HOUSTON WRITES:​​ 

"ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO,

I WAS ON A PLANE GOING WEST,

AND A YOUNG WOMAN BOARDED

AND SAT ACROSS THE AISLE FROM ME.

…SHE WAS HOLDING A TEDDY BEAR

ABOUT HALF HER SIZE.

AFTER SHE SAT DOWN,​​ 

I TEASED HER BY ASKING

IF SHE HAD A TICKET FOR THE BEAR.

SHE LAUGHED AND SAID NO,

AND WE SETTLED INTO​​ 

THE HERMETICALLY SEALED BUBBLES

THAT AIRLINE PASSENGERS ADOPT

TO CREATE PRIVACY AROUND THEMSELVES.

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE FLIGHT

SHE POPPED THE BUBBLE

BY LEANING OVER AND SAYING,

'I JUST TOLD THAT MAN SITTING BY THE WINDOW

A LIE.

HE ASKED ME WHY I WAS GOING TO TUCSON,

AND I TOLD HIM TO VISIT RELATIVES,

BUT I AM REALLY GOING TO ENTER REHAB.'

SHE PROCEEDED TO SHARE

HER LIFE STORY WITH ME,

WHICH INCLUDED FAMILY ISSUES,

ABUSE, AND DRUG USE.

SHE HAD BEEN WORKING AS AN EXOTIC DANCER…

THAT LIFESTYLE HAD LED HER DOWN A DARK PATH

TO DRUGS, ALCOHOL,

AND OFFERS OF PROSTITUTION AND PORNOGRAPHY.

AS I LISTENED TO HER STORY,

I MARVELED AT ALL SHE HAD GONE THROUGH…

IN​​ SPITE​​ OF​​ ALL​​ THIS,

THERE WAS A SWEET​​ RESILIENCE​​ TO HER,

A​​ CLARITY​​ ABOUT WHAT HAD​​ 

GONE WRONG IN HER LIFE,

AND A​​ DETERMINATION​​ TO​​ TURN​​ IT​​ AROUND.

I LISTENED TO ALL SHE SHARED​​ 

AND TOLD HER​​ 

I WAS SURE SHE​​ WAS​​ GOING TO MAKE IT,

BASED ON HER STORY AND DEMEANOR.

AT THE END OF THE FLIGHT,

SHE THANKED ME FOR LISTENING TO HER

AND TOLD ME I HAD SAVED HER LIFE.

I SMILED AT HER EXUBERANCE​​ 

AND WISHED HER WELL.

A FEW YEARS LATER,

I GOT A NOTE IN THE MAIL SAYING,

'WOW, IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE WE MET

ON THAT PLANE TAKING ME TO REHAB.

I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW

HOW I AM DOING.

IT IS AMAZING HOW YOU TOUCHED MY LIFE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.'

SHE WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT SHE​​ 

HAD MANAGED TO STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS,

HAD BEEN WORKING FOR A RADIO STATION,

AND HAD RECENTLY GOTTEN ENGAGED.

SHE FELT SHE HAD ACHIEVED THINGS

SHE COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED​​ 

THAT DAY ON THE PLANE.

IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS GOING​​ 

TO BE TRAVELING TO THE CITY TO WHICH

SHE HAD MOVED, AND WE AGREED

TO SET UP A TIME TO GET TOGETHER.

WHEN I SAW HER, SHE WAS STILL

THE ATTRACTIVE YOUNG WOMAN I REMEMBERED,

BUT THIS TIME SHE DRESSED ELEGANTLY,

WITH A POISE AND CONFIDENCE

FOUND IN FEW TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLDS.

SHE HUGGED ME AND TOLD ME

I WAS HER GUARDIAN ANGEL

AND THAT LITTLE CONVERSATION WE HAD

HAD TURNED HER LIFE AROUND.

SHE HAD BOARDED THE PLANE

DOUBTING​​ ANYTHING​​ WOULD WORK IN HER LIFE,

AND MY​​ AFFIRMATION​​ OF HER AS A​​ PERSON

AND OF HER​​ POSSIBILITIES

HAD GIVEN HER THE LAST BIT OF​​ STRENGTH

SHE NEEDED TO WORK THROUGH HER PROBLEMS.

WHILE THAT EXCHANGE HAD PROVED

TO BE A​​ SPOT​​ OF​​ GRACE​​ FOR​​ HER,

I THINK IT WAS AN EVEN GREATER ONE FOR​​ ME.

I AM QUITE SURE THAT I SAID

NOTHING PROFOUND OR MEANINGFUL

ON THAT FLIGHT.

WHAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

WAS​​ TAKING​​ THE​​ TIME​​ TO​​ CONNECT​​ TO HER,

ONE​​ SPIRIT TO​​ ANOTHER.

IT REMINDED ME THAT WE ARE​​ ALL​​ HERE

TO ACT AS ANGELS TO EACH OTHER…"

THIS SIMPLE YET POWERFUL STORY

OF ONE PERSON PROFOUNDLY AFFECTING

THE LIFE OF ANOTHER FOR GOOD

WITHOUT EVEN BEING AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME

COULD NOT HELP BUT ECHO FOR ME

ELISHA'S WORDS TO HIS SERVANT,

"DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR THERE ARE MORE WITH US

THAN THERE ARE WITH THEM."

ELISHA, OF COURSE, WAS TALKING ABOUT

MORE UNSEEN​​ SOLDIERS​​ --​​ 

HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE --

ON​​ HIS​​ SIDE THAN ON THE SIDE OF HIS​​ ENEMY.

BUT USING THE INTERPRETIVE PRINCIPLE

THAT​​ WE​​ ARE CHALLENGED TO APPLY

ALL BIBLICAL TEXTS TO​​ OURSELVES,

WE CAN TRANSLATE "ENEMIES" TO "FEARS"

AND​​ CELEBRATE​​ THE FACT​​ 

THAT JUST AS GOD PROVIDED

FOR ELISHA AND HIS SERVANT

"HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE,"

GOD WILL PROVIDE US

WITH THE OFTEN UNSEEN FORCES THAT​​ WE​​ NEED

TO MAKE IT THROUGH​​ OUR​​ IMPOSSIBLE TIMES,

AND THAT GOD MAY VERY WELL CALL​​ US

TO SERVE AS A POSITIVE INTERVENING FORCE

IN THE LIVES OF​​ OTHERS.

THREE SUNDAY’S BACK, LOOKING AT THE​​ 

PROPHET ELIJAH'S SLAUGHTER OF THE​​ 

450 PRIESTS OF BAAL,

WE SAW GOD CALLING HIM TO MT. SINAI --

BASICALLY FOR A "DRESSING-DOWN."

GOD DEMONSTRATED TO ELIJAH

HOW GOD WAS​​ NOT​​ TO BE FOUND

IN THE​​ VIOLENCE​​ 

OF A MOUNTAIN-SHATTERING​​ WIND;

NOT​​ TO BE FOUND​​ 

IN THE​​ VIOLENCE​​ OF AN​​ EARTHQUAKE;

AND​​ NOT​​ TO BE FOUND

IN THE​​ VIOLENCE​​ OF A CONSUMING​​ FIRE;

INSTEAD, GOD'S PRESENCE​​ WAS​​ TO BE FOUND

IN THE​​ NONVIOLENT POSSIBILITIES

OF A "STILL, SMALL VOICE."

WE TALKED ABOUT THE INTERPRETIVE PRINCIPLE

OF​​ BIBLICAL​​ TOPOGRAPHY,

AND HOW, IF WE WERE TO COMPARE​​ 

DIFFERENT BIBLICAL TEXTS

WITH THE DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS

REPRESENTED ON THE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS

USED FOR BACKPACKING​​ 

AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING,

THE "STILL, SMALL, VOICE" TEXT

WOULD BE RIGHT​​ UP​​ THERE​​ 

WITH MT. WHITNEY AND MT. SHASTA.

IT WOULD BE RIGHT UP THERE

WITH THESE MOUNTAINS

BECAUSE IT SHOWS US SOMETHING

OF GOD'S DEEPEST​​ HEART,

IT SHOWS US SOMETHING OF GOD'S

OWN PROFOUND YEARNING FOR​​ PEACE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE ROUSING STORY

OF ELIJAH'S SLAUGHTER

OF THE 450 PRIESTS OF BAAL,

REFLECTING THE​​ OPPOSITE

OF​​ GOD'S​​ LONGING FOR​​ LOVE​​ 

TOWARD ONE'S ENEMY,

WOULD BE RIGHT​​ DOWN​​ THERE​​ 

IN TERMS OF ELEVATION;

RIGHT DOWN THERE WITH DEATH VALLEY.

​​ 

OUR SCRIPTURE READING FOR TODAY

IS​​ ANOTHER​​ HIGH-ELEVATION TEXT.

I WOULD GIVE IT AN EVEN​​ HIGHER​​ ELEVATION

THAN LAST WEEK'S READING --

LET'S COMPARE IT WITH MT. McKINLEY ​​ 

IN DENALI NATIONAL PARK IN ALASKA --

BECAUSE IT IS SO ENTIRELY​​ OUT-OF-SYNC

WITH THE POLITICS OF​​ ELISHA'S​​ DAY,

OR, FOR THAT MATTER,

SO ENTIRELY​​ OUT-OF-SYNC

WITH THE POLITICS OF​​ OUR​​ DAY.

FOR ME TODAY'S TEXT IS A KEY EXAMPLE

OF HOW​​ GOD​​ SUBVERTS​​ 

THE​​ VIOLENCE​​ ASCRIBED TO GOD IN THE BIBLE.

GOD DOES THIS BY SHARING WITH US​​ 

AN​​ ALTERNATIVE​​ TO THE REIGNING VIOLENCE

OF ELISHA'S TIME -- AND OURS. ​​ 

PART OF THE​​ SUBVERSIVENESS​​ OF THIS STORY

IS THE FACT THAT IT​​ NEVER​​ HAPPENED.

IN THE MIDST OF THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES,

WHERE VIOLENCE REIGNS SUPREME --

AND WHERE WE HAVE PLENTY OF

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

AND HISTORICAL RECORDS

ATTESTING TO THIS VIOLENCE --

WE HAVE THIS MORNING'S CHARMING STORY

OF AN ENEMY ARMY​​ 

THAT WAS CAPTURED BY THE PROPHET ELISHA,

BROUGHT TO THE CITY OF SAMARIA,

THE​​ CAPITAL OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM​​ 

OF ISRAEL,

AND INSTEAD OF BEING​​ SLAUGHTERED​​ THERE,

WAS TREATED TO A​​ FEAST​​ 

AND SENT HOME IN​​ PEACE.

IN ADDITION TO THEIR BEING​​ 

NO HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

THAT THIS STORY REALLY HAPPENED,

WE HAVE​​ CLUES​​ TO THIS EFFECT​​ 

IN THE TEXT ITSELF.

NOTICE HOW THE TWO OPPOSING KINGS,

THE KING OF ARAM, AND THE KING OF ISRAEL,

ARE​​ NOT​​ NAMED,​​ 

BUT SIMPLY GENERICALLY CALLED

"THE KING OF ARAM," AND "THE KING OF ISRAEL."

THIS IS HIGHLY​​ UNUSUAL,

GIVEN THE FACT THAT KINGS,

THEN AS WELL AS NOW,

INSIST ON HEARING THEIR NAMES

MENTIONED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

WHAT I WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU

IS THAT GOD IS PROVIDING US​​ 

THROUGH THE PROPHET ELISHA,

WITH AN​​ ALTERNATIVE​​ VISION​​ OF​​ REALITY,

A​​ NONVIOLENT VISION OF REALITY

WHICH GOD WOULD LIKE TO SEE

BECOME STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

FOR US HUMANS,​​ 

INSTEAD​​ OF​​ THE VARIOUS FORMS OF VIOLENCE

WHICH WE ARE SO SKILLED ​​ 

AT CREATING AND ENACTING.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST

THAT THIS IS A​​ TEACHING​​ STORY

SENT TO US BY NO ONE LESS THAN GOD

THROUGH THE PROPHET ELISHA,

A TEACHING STORY

WHICH GIVES US AN "INSIDE VIEW," SO TO SPEAK,

OF GOD'S​​ HEART,

AND OF GOD'S DEEP​​ DESIRE​​ FOR US

TO MAKE​​ PEACE, NOT​​ WAR.

THE GIST OF THE STORY GOES LIKE THIS:

THE KING OF ARAM AND THE KING OF ISRAEL

ARE AT WAR.

NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THIS;

WAR WAS THE​​ NORMAL​​ STATE OF THINGS

BETWEEN THE KING OF ISRAEL​​ 

AND THE KING OF ARAM.

THE KING OF ARAM IS ANGRY​​ 

BECAUSE THE PROPHET ELISHA

IS CLAIRVOYANT, ABLE TO SEE​​ 

THE TROOP MOVEMENTS OF HIS ARMY,

AND REPORTS THEM TO THE KING OF ISRAEL​​ 

WHO IS THEN ABLE TO WARD OFF

ANY SURPRISE ATTACK.

SO THE KING OF ARAM​​ 

DECIDES TO GO AFTER THE PROPHET ELISHA,

SURROUNDING HIM IN THE CITY OF DOTHAN

WITH HIS VAST ARMY.

THEN WE HAVE THE ACCOUNT

OF ELISHA'S SERVANT ARISING​​ 

EARLY IN THE MORNING,

SEEING THE ARMY SURROUNDING THE CITY,

AND​​ MOANING​​ TO ELISHA,

"ALAS, MASTER! ​​ WHAT SHALL WE DO?"

IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT ELISHA​​ 

TELLS HIS SERVANT NOT TO BE AFRAID,

ASKS GOD TO OPEN HIS EYES, WHICH GOD DOES,

AND THE SERVANT IS ABLE TO SEE

THAT HE AND ELISHA ARE PROTECTED

BY AN ARMY OF "HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE"

THAT VASTLY OUTNUMBERS​​ 

THE ARMY OF THEIR ENEMY.

THE STORY CONTINUES, ALMOST​​ PLAYFULLY,

BY HAVING ELISHA ASKING GOD

TO TEMPORARILY BLIND THE ENEMY FORCES,

WHICH GOD DUTIFULLY DOES.

ELISHA THEN LEADS​​ 

THE ARMY OF THE KING OF ARAM

STRAIGHT INTO THE FORTIFIED CITY OF SAMARIA,

THE CAPITAL OF THE KING OF ISRAEL,

THE KING OF ARAM'S MORTAL ENEMY. ​​ 

THE SOLDIERS' EYES ARE OPENED --

YOU CAN IMAGINE THEIR ASTONISHMENT AND FEAR

AT FINDING THEMSELVES SNUGLY WITHIN

THE WALLS OF SAMARIA.

THE KING OF ISRAEL,​​ 

AMAZED AT HIS GOOD FORTUNE,

WANTS, OF COURSE, TO​​ SLAUGHTER​​ 

THE ENEMY ARMY WITHIN HIS WALLS,

BUT ELISHA TALKS HIM​​ 

INTO THROWING A​​ FEAST​​ FOR THEM INSTEAD,

AND THEY WIND UP LEAVING THE CITY IN​​ PEACE.

OUR STORY ENDS WITH THE IDYLLIC STATEMENT

"AND THE ARAMEANS NO LONGER

CAME RAIDING INTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL."

HOW​​ SAD​​ THAT THIS STORY​​ 

WAS NEVER ABLE TO BE PLAYED OUT

IN THE REALM OF HISTORY.

HOW​​ WONDERFUL, HOWEVER,

THAT​​ GOD​​ PLAYS OUT THIS STORY

IN GOD'S MIND AND HEART,

AND SHARES IT WITH ELISHA,

WHO, IN TURN, SHARES IT WITH US.

HOW​​ WONDERFUL​​ THAT THROUGH THE VEHICLE

OF THIS STORY, WE GET, AS IT WERE,

A GLIMPSE INTO THE INNER WORKINGS OF GOD,

AND THAT THAT GLIMPSE REVEALS TO US A GOD

WHO IS JUST AS DEEPLY INTO

CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE AS JESUS IS.

IT'S ALMOST AS IF GOD ALLOWS​​ 

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES

TO TELL US THE TRAGIC STORY OF WHAT​​ WAS,

WHILE THROUGH TODAY'S TEXT.

OUR “STIL, SMALL VOICE” TEXT​​ 

OF THREE WEEKS AGO,​​  ​​​​ 

AND A SIUGNIFICANT NUMBER OF​​ ​​ 

OF OTHER TEXTS SCATTERED ​​ 

THROUGHOUT THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES,

GOD GRACES US WITH AN​​ ALTERNATIVE​​ VISION,

A VISION OF WHAT​​ COULD​​ HAVE​​ BEEN,

A VISION OF WHAT GOD IS STILL

HOPING​​ AND​​ WAITING​​ WILL BECOME REAL

IN​​ HISTORICAL​​ REALITY

AND NOT JUST IN GOD'S​​ DREAMS.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THE MERE​​ INCLUSION

OF THIS STORY WITHIN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES

IS DEEPLY​​ SUBVERSIVE​​ OF ALL THE​​ VIOLENCE

CONTAINED THEREIN,

AND OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO GOD.

IN ESSENCE, GOD IS TELLING US YET AGAIN:

"STOP​​ PROJECTING​​ YOUR OWN VIOLENCE ONTO ME;

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO FIND ME, THE​​ REAL​​ ME,

YOU CAN FIND ME IN THE FORM​​ 

OF A "STILL, SMALL VOICE;"

YOU CAN FIND ME IN THIS STORY

OF LEADING AN ARMY

INTO THE CITADEL OF THEIR ARCH ENEMY,

AND HAVING THEIR ARCH ENEMY

THROW A FEAST OF​​ FOOD​​ FOR THEM,

INSTEAD OF FEASTING ON THEIR​​ SLAUGHTER."

TWO GREAT THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE

IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING:​​ 

FIRST, WE GET A GLIMPSE INTO

THE VERY HEART OF GOD,

AND SEE THERE​​ NOT​​ VIOLENCE,

BUT A PROFOUND YEARNING FOR​​ PEACE.

SECOND, WE ARE INVITED TO TAKE​​ 

ELISHA'S STATEMENT TO HIS SERVANT THAT

"THERE ARE MORE WITH US

THAN THERE ARE WITH THEM,"

AND APPLY IT TO​​ OURSELVES,

AFFIRMING THE FACT THAT

GOD'S OFTEN UNSEEN FORCES OF​​ 

RESURRECTION, TRUTH, GOODNESS, BEAUTY,

FAITH, HOPE, GRACE, AND LOVE,

ARE SURROUNDING​​ US

AND DELIVERING​​ US​​ FROM ALL SORTS

OF SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS

IN​​ OUR​​ LIVES.​​ 

THE IMPLICATION IS THAT IF​​ GOD​​ 

IS CONSTANTLY PROVIDING​​ US

WITH ALL THESE GOOD THINGS,

THEN​​ WE​​ ARE CHALLENGED

TO​​ SHARE​​ THESE​​ SAME​​ REALITIES WITH​​ OTHERS.

AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS OF NAZARETH,

GOD CALLS US TO CREATE​​ 

AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY,

A REALITY THAT PROVIDES A REAL​​ ALTERNATIVE

TO THE RAMPANT MATERIALISM

AND POLITICAL HATRED​​ 

THAT ARE NOW SO ENDEMIC TO OUR COUNTRY

AND TO OUR WORLD.

I'D LIKE TO END THIS SERMON

IN THE SAME WAY IT BEGAN,

WITH ANOTHER STORY FROM THE BOOK

SPOT OF GRACE, THIS ONE FROM NANCY MARGULIES,

WHO WRITES:

"IN AUGUST OF 1998, BOARDING A GREYHOUND BUS

HEADING FROM BOULDER TO DENVER,

I NOTICED A YOUNG…WOMAN STANDING IN LINE…

AS WE CLIMBED ON, SHE NOTICED

THE SILVER BRACELET I WAS WEARING.

'I LIKE YOUR BRACELET,' SHE SAID.

'THANKS. ​​ I BOUGHT IT IN MEXICO RECENTLY,'

I EXPLAINED.

SHE TOLD ME THAT THIS THIN SILVER CHAIN

WAS JUST THE TYPE OF BRACELET

SHE'D BEEN LOOKING FOR.

I OFFERED TO GIVE HER MINE.

'OH, NO, I COULDN'T'

WAS HER IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.

'MAYBE I CAN BUY IT FROM YOU,' SHE SUGGESTED.

'LOOK,' I SAID, 'WHAT WOULD BE MORE​​ FUN​​ --

BUYING​​ A BRACELET FROM A TOTAL STRANGER

OR​​ RECEIVING​​ A​​ GIFT​​ FROM A TOTAL STRANGER?'

SHE ADMITTED THAT THE GIFT​​ 

WOULD BE MUCH BETTER.

I TOOK THE BRACELET OFF MY WRIST

AND PUT IT ON HERS.

IT LOOKED GREAT.

WE FOUND SEATS, ONE BEHIND THE OTHER,

AND THERE WAS NO MORE CONVERSATION.

LEAVING THE BUS,​​ 

THE YOUNG WOMAN HANDED ME A PIECE

OF NOTEBOOK PAPER FOLDED SEVERAL TIMES

INTO A NEAT SQUARE.

I THANKED HER AND STUCK IT IN MY BACK POCKET.

A FEW HOURS LATER​​ 

I REMEMBERED THE PAPER AND READ IT.

IN PENCIL SHE HAD WRITTEN:

DEAR MISS:

TODAY WAS AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR ME.

YOU SEE, I AM GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD

WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF MY FAMILY

TO SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE.

SOON I WILL BE GOING OFF TO COLLEGE,

AND TODAY I AM TRYING OUT

BEING ON MY OWN AWAY FROM HOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH​​ 

FOR BEING THE FIRST PERSON I WAS TO MEET.

GOD BLESS. ​​ A STRANGER.

NANCY MARGULES CONTINUES:

I HAVE HER NOTE FRAMED ON MY WALL.

[IT'S] ONE OF MY FAVORITE POSSESSIONS.

PERHAPS I WAS BORN​​ 

TO WELCOME THAT YOUNG WOMAN

INTO THE WORLD OF STRANGERS.

I MAY HAVE BEEN SENT TO DENVER THAT DAY

NOT TO SEE MY SISTER

BUT TO MEET THAT ONE PERSON ON THE BUS.

I'LL NEVER KNOW.

BUT FROM THAT MEETING ON,

I WAS CLEAR THAT THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO LIVE

IS TO TREAT EVERY​​ EVENT, EACH​​ STRANGER,

AS A POTENTIAL​​ OPPORTUNITY

TO ACT AS AN​​ AGENT​​ OF THE​​ DIVINE."

WOW --

"TO ACT AS AN AGENT OF THE DIVINE,"

SHARING WITH OTHERS SOMETHING

OF GOD'S​​ ACCEPTANCE​​ AND​​ AFFIRMATION,

SOMETHING OF GOD'S​​ GOODNESS​​ AND​​ PEACE,

SOMETHING OF GOD'S​​ 

GRACE​​ AND​​ LOVE​​ AND​​ BEAUTY.

SOMETHING OF​​ GOD'S​​ ALTERNATIVE REALITY.

​​ 

ISN'T THIS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT?

GOD SURE SEEMS TO THINK SO.

AMEN.

 ​​​​