Faces in the Crowd, Day 7

In the Late Evening, Pino Daeni (Italian)

This post is part of an on-going Lenten series that began Ash Wednesday. 

"Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.

And after had had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. 

When evening came, he was there alone," (Matthew 14:22-23)

+

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

This Lenten series I have been exploring faces in the "inner crowd."  Aspects of myself that hinder getting to the silence and stillness of prayer. My initial hope was that if I could name and identify those "faces in the crowd" that Jesus would dismiss them. Instead, Jesus welcomes all of me - accepts all of me in whole.  And the same is true for you. All of you is welcomed into his loving presence. You don't have to leave any part of yourself on the other side of the door. 

The face in the crowd I see tonight is the part of me that is like Jesus' friend Martha - worried and distracted by many things. The part of me that goes from task to task, getting increasingly irritated and worn out - until it feels like there is nothing left. I see my limitations and run right past them, telling myself, "just one more little thing, then I'll stop." And to this worn out face in the crowd, Jesus brings compassion and rest. 

In Daeni's painting, I see a someone at the end of a long day and it shows in her flushed cheeks, shadowed eyes, and hands still at work. Some evenings, I catch myself in the reflection of the kitchen window over the sink and see this same expression. 

Today's vista & prayer:

• In what ways do you find yourself in the pattern of being "worried, distracted and worn out"? 
• How does Daeni's painting speak to you?
• We pray: Jesus, long ago you dismissed the crowd to be alone with God. On another occasion you saw the crowd and were moved with compassion. Deliver me from worry and distraction, bring me into your graceful rhythms and grant me the gift of rest in your presence. Amen.