May the living Christ be with you: before you to show the way; beside you to befriend you; behind you to encourage you; above you to watch over you; beneath you to cushion you, and within you to give you peace. – R. Clemmitt
This modern variation on a traditional Irish blessing adds a new circle of meaning. The presence of the living resurrected Christ with us impacts so many areas of our life that we may not always recognize. I have never thought of Christ beneath us to cushion us, but it immediately made sense to me. I have never used those words to describe it, but I have certainly experienced it. I am often amazed at the way a writer can capture what I have experienced that I do not yet have words to express. Sometimes I do not even recognize the experience until an author gives me words to speak it into my conscious mind. This can happen in a hymn or sermon or prayer, but it can also happen in the mundane experiences of life. We can hear it in the casual comment of a friend or naïve observation of a child. We may find it in a TV show or movie. It may be revealed in a novel or short story. A song or poem may capture that illusive thought that has been just outside our grasp or nearly on the tip of our tongue. It can happen in something observed or imagined. It can happen anytime or any place, even when we least expect it. How fortunate we are if our eyes and ears are open to that moment. Hidden Christ, may we see you in all those awesome moments when you reveal yourself in the ordinary bits of our life.