Peace Amid the Chaos
I recently made a trip that I have been dreading and putting off. I drove to Irving Street and entered the mass of humanity in the Washington DC Veterans Administration building. The trip was necessary in order to finalize some paperwork, but I was intimidated by the potential lack of parking and office space to support so many veterans. Erin was brave enough to accompany me, and she even found time to buy me a cup of coffee while I sat waiting to be called to the desk of an overworked office clerk.
As it turned out, the experience was not nearly as painful, or time consuming, as I had originally imagined. The clerk was thoroughly professional and helpful in making suggestions for quicker service. She took the extra time to walk with us around the atrium in order to point us in the direction of our next destination. Because of a prompting of the Lord, I stopped her as she was about to walk away and said, “I appreciate what you do here, and I want you to know that Jesus loves you.” It was a simple act of touching a person with the love and power of Jesus amid the throng of humanity.
Reading through the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ earthly ministry, I sometimes become overwhelmed by the press of humanity as multitudes throng to the presence of our Lord. One day (Luke 8:41), as the Lord was headed to the home of a synagogue official, Jesus sensed that someone had reached out to Him. He literally felt the healing connection when a desperate woman touched the fringe of His garment. It is as if the swirling mass of humanity receded into the background as Jesus asked, “Who touched Me?”
A touch from Jesus, even surrounded by a throng of people, is powerful. It can heal the brokenhearted, bind up wounds of flesh and spirit, and it can breathe peace into the heart of a twelve-year loser or an overworked VA clerk. Please remember that important fact the next time you are surrounded by Metro commuters, Redskins fans, or MVA customers. There can, indeed, be peace amid the chaos!
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