Sunday Reflection: "If you choose, you can make me well"

Today's reflection is brought to you by 

Mark 1:40-42.

A Prayer for Brett

The man 

came to you

with his heart in his eyes,

saying,

"If you choose, you can make me clean."

"I do choose," 

you reply --

over and 

over and 

over.

You choose us

no matter how

messed up 

and complicated

our lives get.

You reach out to us

in the love of those 

around us,

in the beauty of the world

with which you surround us,

in the moments 

that fill us with joy and delight

-- and even

in the painful times when we

reach the bottom

and have nowhere to go

but up.

You choose us.

You are with us.

And you wait for us

to choose you, 

too.

Our messed up, 

complicated,

beautiful,

painful lives

need your help.

Help us to choose

you,

to choose

the good road

starting now.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

Pastor Quinn invited Brett to come in off the street for church this morning at the Community of Emmanuel, our ecumenical community in the inner-city. Brett came in and sat by the door, and we ended up chatting as we waited for the service to start. He told me he wasn't sure why he accepted Quinn's invitation because he hadn't been to church in years, so I assured him that ours was a low-key and no-pressure kind of service, and he told me a bit about his life on the streets. 

Once the service began, I spent most of it helping a fellow with very cold hands, and passing coffee out the door to people waiting outside because it was a full-house kind of day. As the service ended, I checked in with Brett. He was very emotional and talked about how much he wants to get off of drugs, and how afraid he is that they've already damaged him beyond healing. 

Today's reading about Jesus choosing to make the leper well aligns with Brett's story. Just as leprosy divided families in Jesus' day, addiction and anger issues have been a wedge between Brett and his family for the past five years, and he's homesick. Quinn's invitation to pray with our community -- and Brett's acceptance of it -- might be a turning point for him, or it might not. 

That puts this young man whom I barely know near the top of my prayer list for the week ahead. I hope and pray that today's service at Inner City Pastoral Ministry can be the moment that Brett realizes that Christ does want to restore him to his community, as he did the leper. I hope that Brett will call Quinn for a meeting in the days ahead that will bring him healing, reconciliation, and reconnection with his family sooner than he expects. 

If you have any spare prayers for healing and hope, Brett can use them.