Soothing Music

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I am sitting on a crowded Friday evening train, headed home for spring break. I cling to my suitcase as best as I can and prepare to exit as I notice my stop is next. The train comes to a jolting stop. I am propelled  forward by the force of the train and the weight of my trunk. Just when it seems like I am about to land face first on the ground, a pale, White hand reaches out to hold me. I give an awkward "thank you, I'm ok" and swiftly exit the train.

         The world is deteriorating--some say physically because of global warming and other environmental issues, but in other ways too. In a society with school bombings, senseless killings, family members turning on family members, and abandoned babies, goodness can seem invisible. This person's small act of kindness on the train,  reminded me that there are some good Samaritans in the world. Or perhaps from a psych standpoint you could say his super ego just kicked in. Nonetheless, he broke color lines. He did not see some Black girl, with a college sweater, he just saw a fellow subway rider who looked like they needed help.  Small, random acts of kindness can have a great impact. Kindness is a way of being the salt on an earth that is wounded--the sweet aroma in a land that is  embittered  by suffering, soothing music for a world that is on the brink of lunacy.


Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.  1 Samuel 16:23.