The Embrace

Some friends of mine have an icon in their sun room that always touches me. I imagine it's a classic icon of Mary and Jesus in an embrace - her face is turned towards his and she seems to fit perfectly into his arms. This icon matches much of my experience with Jesus, being small and secure in his arms. Often when I visualize Jesus holding me I'm only about 7 or 8 years old.

One of my favorite authors is Madelein L'Engle. She is most famous for her children's book "A Wrinkle in Time" but she has written many memoir type books that let the reader share her journey through life. She is a christian and is inspiring in her love of scripture and in her desire to love others. In her book called "The Rock that is Higher" she shares an intimate portrait of her and one of her adult granddaughters after they were unable to enter a concert because they had arrived too late. Fortunately they where able to sit in an adjoining atrium where they could still enjoy the music. They sat side by side on a bench and as they settled in her granddaughter laid her head on Madeleine's shoulder. Madeleine ponders the idea that maybe in that moment they were their true selves. Truly grandmother and granddaughter. (I am paraphrasing greatly since I've lent this book to a friend and cannot reference the story)

Yesterday, my 7 month old son and I were sitting on the couch together. He's had a fever for the last two days and has been terribly lethargic (something that is very hard for me since this is his first real fever). He has wanted to be in my arms almost constantly when he's awake, but this time he let me sit him up on the couch. I decided I'd see what would happen if I leaned up against him and almost instinctively he laid his head on my chest and was asleep in a few minutes. I think I can understand how Madeleine felt - how in that moment I felt like this was the 'truest' me there could be - loving my son who has allot less inhibitions when it comes to being 'himself'.

Is that what the icon is about, the real Mary (insert yourself in Mary's place) being embraced by Jesus who doesn't have the trouble we do with being his authentic self? Is that why it's appealing? He knows her and she desires to be known and loved by him.

And how wonderful to have an opportunity to be able to experience this in the context of other relationships in our lives!

Does being Jesus to one another mean that through God's grace we have moments where we are truely authenic and in those moments are an opportunity to allow others to be truely authenic and experience being loved for who they are?

Thoughts???