When the refugees came to TX a few years ago they showed us photos of children on concrete floors, in high cages with “blankets”. Well they were’t a blankie as much as they were aluminum foil with bound edge. We called them Space blankets and they were intended as emergency coverings for campers etc.
As an only child growing up I had some VERY real separation anxiety about being taken away from my parents, alone. This can be traced to a plethora of Shirley Temple Movies I would watch on Sunday afternoon that scared me and made me cry, weep, cry! The gist of most of these movies was that a little girl who was orphaned, lost, or separated from her parents . She found other people to care for her and then THEY too were separated from her too! Oh Capt! Oh Capt! (Captain January) still makes me anxious.
(Article about Shirley Temple movies https://animationresources.org/theory-objectively-breaking-down-reference-2/)
The reality we live is this same thing. The though of a child, yes adults too, the though of a child separated from their parents or aunties, or brother or sister in a cage because of their size or age lying on a cold cement floor with a pretend covering for comfort kept me awake. It still does. They had been on perilous travel for weeks of hardship, cold, lack of food, only to be taken away from security. Love. Some so young that after months, sometimes a year, forget their parents. They were too young to remember them when they were separated. Some of them were ‘adopted’ out by families here with no identification or record of who they were, where they were sent, where their families were, where their US relatives were… gone. Disappeared. How many right now remain in that situation is Unknown because they purposely were not documented.
So for a time in the service where I usually gave a little talk, a preview really of the sermon topic, I had a friend Nancy come forward. We took one of those blankets- a space blanket is what we called them— and from the palm size wrapped and folded item we opened it.
Before we started I said that it brings me little comfort to think of a child huddled in this ‘blanket’. In fact it makes me very sad and angry.
Ok, Nancy and I took that little blanket, tightly wrapped and began unwrapping it layer by layer unfolding it. It was packed accordion style and each time we turned the new layer it made a loud unfriendly sound. We said nothing as we did it. We moved at a regular pace, unwrapping
Unwrapping….unwrapping… unwrapping. Foil, foil foil. Again and again. Again and again, foil foil, foil. Again and again.
To be honest it was bigger than I expected, 7×7 . It took longer than I expected.
No words, no other sound. Hushed until more unwrapping.
Also at one point, like 1/2 through I though well we should stop. But that would have been too easy. Too comforting. This was challenging with each layer.
Finally when we got to the end I said Let us pray….
Then I said nothing for 30 seconds which was the first quiet in the room for 15 minutes.
I still hear it. Can you hear it? Has this changed? I don’t know.
Comfort, comfort comfort ye my people…
Catherine Wentworth wrote this lyric for the hymn
1 “Comfort, comfort all my people;
speak of peace,” so says our God.
“Comfort those who sit in darkness,
groaning from their sorrows’ load.
Speak to all Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell them that their sins I cover,
that their warfare now is over.”
4 Then make straight the crooked highway;
make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
ready for his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is spread abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that God’s word is never broken.
And
Messiah – Comfort Ye My People Lyrics
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished, that her
Iniquity is pardoned.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness
Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway for
Our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3)
God Abides,
Bobbie giltz mcgarey @ 2023, Easton, PA
The Spirit Will Tell You 