Grab

Above his head (2:4)

A month ago today, a 7.0 earthquake hit Izmir, a port city on the Turkish mediterranean coast. In the heart of the city, apartment blocks collapsed trapping residents under the rubble. A race began to rescue survivors. After 65 hours of digging, a 3 year-old girl was recovered from the wreckage of her home. Having little hope that she is still alive, her rescuer called for a body bag or blanket with which to cover her still form. As he began to wrap her up, a tiny hand reached out and grabbed his thumb. On the photos, you can still see her little fingers holding tight as she is carried away to the ambulance.

I imagine the paralysed man's friends pressing their ears to the roof of the house to listen for Jesus' voice to guide their digging. When they find it, they dig, not this time to rescue the one who is speaking, but to rescue the one whom they love enough to risk upsetting rather a lot of people, including the owner of the house. It is as if it is they who reach out to grab the thumb of the rescuer, the Saviour. Today, in our struggles, we might want to reach out too.



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