Life Giving Part 3
April 10, 2025
Our encounters with strangers can be one of our most life-giving gifts. Every day, we interact with people who are not in our circle of friends, yet these dear souls are important to us. In a way, they are our friends, but only for a minute or even seconds. They aren’t long-lasting friends with whom we share our ongoing lives, but they are our friends in that moment because we share a necessary interaction or circumstance that brings us together.
They serve us from behind the store counters, in drive-through windows, and in doorways and elevators. In restaurants they take our orders and bring our food. They repair our vehicles and bring packages and mail to the house. They come to repair our appliances and to help us clean and maintain our homes. Sometimes we are these dear souls to others. Though they may not be friends or family, they are fellow human beings with whom we share this planet and are part of the amazing interconnection of all life.
While we interact with them, it can be a life-giving moment. We may not exchange our life situations, but we exchange our energy. We may not know one another’s lives in any depth, but we know what we feel when we see into their eyes and listen to their voices. We may not know their likes and dislikes, political views, or favorite pastimes, but we feel their presence, and they feel ours.
I have a dear friend who volunteers in his church’s soup kitchen. He told me of a profound encounter with a gentleman who came for lunch one day last week. My friend, who is very personable, sat down with the man who was alone, and chatted. During the chat, my friend asked the gentleman if he had any family. The man looked him right in the eye and said, “You are the only family I have.” Profound.
These interactions are life-giving opportunities. They give us a chance to say a kind word or receive a heartfelt smile. They allow us to say to another human being, “I see you.” They are people we do not know personally but who are part of the human family. Regardless of our station in life — in the moment of encounter, we are in a relationship, whether we are a king, queen, factory worker, mother, father, president, businessperson, chairman of the board, part of the serving staff, or sanitation engineer, we share the same sky and air, the same weather, the same level of noise, the same temperature, the same daily news, and the exact needs for food, clothing, shelter, and love. There is always something to share with a stranger, and once we share with them, they are no longer complete strangers.
Giving to and receiving affirmation from someone we do not know personally is an affirmation of humanity.
Spiritual practice: Today, make it a spiritual practice to be keenly aware of the people whose lives touch yours. In the moment of interaction, let your eyes meet, and be mindful of the messages you send out and receive. Be aware of whether your presence affirms them. Does theirs affirm yours?
Self-inquiry: Why would you want humanity to be affirmed?
Dear God,
I pray that every interaction is a life-giving one. Amen
