Yesterday morning, at Mass, my hair was a lovely salt and pepper color. Nothing was extraordinary or different.
When I attended the Stations of the Cross, our soup supper, and the Novena of Grace, that evening, my hair was pink.
I looked around. Some people avoided me. Others avoided looking at my hair when they talked with me. (They were surprised.) I finally told one young priest, "It's okay to look at my hair. It's pink." He laughed with me.
One member of the parish came to me and said, "You did it! I love it!" Another person asked me if I knew how old I was. Several laughed behind my back. Truthfully, most people were surprised and did not know how to address this change.
I knew there would be reactions. (Our parish is very conservative. Pink hair is not the norm.) I still chose to color my hair pink. Without realizing it, everyone with whom I came in contact, chose their reaction. There were those who were making fun of my hair behind my back. There were those who wondered if I knew how to act my age. There were those who would come to me after the fact to tell me that others were making fun of me or laughing at me. There were those who were shocked, but honest. There were those few who smiled and said, "Way to go!" Each one of us makes a choice in the way react when we are confronted with the "different."
Ironically, God gave me a pop quiz at a recent dinner engagement. I was assigned a table where I was very uncomfortable. I could hardly wait to leave. This is where I learned an important lesson and made a count of my sins. The lesson: We choose how we will react. Our reactions are either sources of grace or sin.
I sat down with 5 children of God. I really didn't like any of them. I thought they were, well, weird. I made judgments about each of them. (Are you counting my sins here?) I ate as quickly as I could, so that I could leave. I interacted, but I kept my eyes on my food, and excused myself. I made choices here, too. I chose to react as many did to my pink hair.
I was unkind. I was judgmental. I was harsh. I was unloving. I rejected other children of God. (I think I need to go to confession, again, very soon!)
Ouch!
Lord, Jesus,
I'm sorry for having offended you in my reactions to those who should have been a source of grace for me. You would not have rejected any of them, as I did. I beg Your forgiveness, and I ask You to bless these people whom I rejected. I also ask that you bless all of those people who reacted to my pink hair whether positively or negatively. Thank you for teaching me the lessons I needed to learn about love and kindness. I ask You to give me the strength to accept all of Your children, especially those whom I would reject but for love of You.
Amen.
As we walk this Camino Del Rey (Walk of the King), let us stop to think before we react. Let us pray for those whom we might reject. Do you see that young person with black fingernail polish and her hair spiked? Would Jesus reject her? What about that person who smells? Would Jesus reject him? These souls are all chances for us to grow in grace. Jesus saved all of His children, not a select few.
Walk this Camino and open your hearts to the Love of God. Seek out those who might be rejected by others. Pray for them. Make them the object of your prayers. Give to the poor and don't expect to be paid back. Love all of God's children. The Camino is not meant to be an easy trek through the desert. The Camino is meant to be difficult. Interacting with God's children is not always easy. Walk the Camino bravely. Love God! Love His Children.
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