Beholding, not Backing Off
Lots of walking. Lots of people walking. Out into the open air.
Walking, my eyes look to the right at the boats of all sizes gently rocking in the marina with lovely names, calligraphies on the stern: Tranquility, Restful Breezes, La Belle Rousse.
And then a jolt as eyes landing on a not-so-lovely name: BACK OFF! Writ large in block-print, complete with heightened punctuation, as if the words were not disturbing enough.
What a message to the world! Why so mean? Why so nasty?
The power of words.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The flesh and blood of Jesus Christ living and eventually dying for, and in love, bringing redemption and life in fullness, as our Redeemer Charism states.
Redeeming love is writ large in a block-print crucifixion picture with Jesus’ mother and his Beloved Disciple standing underneath.
Dying words uniting his Mother to an already emerging Church: “Woman, behold your son.” And then to the disciple, “Behold your mother.”
Redeeming love is when we behold the other as our own. Our ministry in a word or a few, behold, be-holding, being in the hold of the other.
No, not “back off!”
The power of words. Good, gracious, life-giving words.
Behold! – Fr. Joe Driscoll