Small Act With Great Love

At the beginning of the summer, the Pathways and Duke Chapel representatives talked about community engagement with us. They explained the history of this house and the Chapel's involvement with the West End neighborhood. Far from attempting to "save the West End," the Chapel wanted to be with the neighborhood and to do small acts with great love.

I had not thought about this phrase until yesterday at the Sunday morning service at Asbury Temple UMC. On the left side of the pews, there is always this one tired, sullen-faced woman, who every week, juggles her children (an infant and a toddler) throughout the service. Yesterday, the whole congregation uncomfortably witnessed her losing it with the kids, who refused to behave. The short and firm phrases of "shut up" and "sit down!" echoed across the small sanctuary. Then, one of the women of the church left her middle pew, walked around the back of the church, all the way around to the tired woman's row. She slid in and held the toddler in her lap. Within a few minutes, the toddler sat at the matriarch's side and baby girl rested on her knees. The tired mother sat, alone and peaceful, as a participant in the service once more.

It didn't seem like much. The matriarch only held the children. However, for this woman, it was the only true peace and quiet she had experienced recently. She was able to focus on the service: on God.

We are called to remove the obstacles for our brothers and sisters in Christ to experience the Father. I learned a lot from watching this encounter.