The Streets of Berkeley - Some weeks ago.

Suffer the Little Children

One of the things that I am going to miss is calling my daughter Anna on the phone, and arranging to meet her at A Musical Offering, a short distance from her office on campus, and my office at Saint Mark's Church. There over a decaf Americano and their wonderful Peruvian Corn Bread, and Anna's "tea to go" and some other goody, we would talk about our work, and lives, and her up-coming move to Kansas for a teaching stint at Kansas State University at Manhattan, Kansas.  We've enjoyed over a decade of proximity, full of Sunday night dinners (or "dinner with a dictionary", as Anna calls it) or breakfasts at the Cafe Royal in Albany, California.  Now times together will be few and far between.  I did however, have my opportunity.

As we parted, I began my walk down Bancroft Way (with no small amount of sadness), and Anna crossed the street, back onto the campus.  As I crossed the street that runs in front of Wesley House, pictured above, I noticed a group of 5 or 6 women with 2 or 3 kids each paralleling my walk down Bancroft and then crossing in the midst of traffic to land at my feet in front of Wesley House.  I nodded a greeting and moved on down the street.  As I passed, I heard a voice behind me say, "A blessing, Father?"  I turned around, and there were all the women and children gathered at the corner, waiting - looking at me for a blessing.  So hand upon pate, with small eyes looking up at me, I asked each their name, and blessed them - slowly and deliberately.

What a future stared up at me?!  And how many more sons and daughters are offered to us than we already have.  Blessed?  I hope they were, but it was I who was blessed by their presence - angels unaware!