Faces

Every Sunday in our third service (Mosaic) at church we do communion ala the Catholic Church. Men and women of different backgrounds and experiences come forward to recieve the body and blood of Christ. Sometimes the other ministers and I pray with the body as they come; sometimes we simply affirm them with a smile or hug.

Yesterday, I held the sacraments as each person came forward. One face was old-- wisdom and hardship were ever present. Another face was timid, unsure of what exactly was happening. Yet another face, much darker than the other two, had a sense of solidarity about her. It was almost as if she felt safe to be in the presence of other seekers and followers of Jesus. Several more faces came to recieve the meal. Each one bringing a different gift; each person a different story.

Christ is found on the faces of those around us. I see so many faces everyday that I get numb to this. But there they are, unavoidable.

The waitress at the restaraunt. The man changing the oil in my car. At first glance it is just another person trying to survive the rat race. A second glance reminds me of a different reality.

I know there's much to be said about learning a person's name. But I also think there's more to be said about simply seeing a person as just that. Not a way to get ahead, get service, get a response, etc. But a person who somehow, no matter how messy it might be, bears the image of a loving creator.