A stranger's care transcends a language barrier

Marta Greenwood from www.spirituality.com
Marta Greenwood is a contributing editor for the spiritually inspiring magazines, the Christian Science Sentinel and The Christian Science Journal.

 

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My elderly Iranian parents have managed to live in New York City for over twenty years without speaking English. My sister lives several hours away and I live in London. So when a car backed into them as they crossed the street near their apartment in November of 2004 they felt a million miles from home and family. Critically injured, they were rushed to an intensive care unit.

It would take my sister several hours to travel to the hospital, and it would be five days before I could travel to see my parents. I immediately took comfort in prayer since there was nothing else I could do.

Fortunately, an “angel” was already with them at the scene. Maria, who had just moved to New York from Argentina, witnessed the accident. She rushed to help. It didn’t matter to her that my parents couldn’t speak English—she still reached out to reassure and comfort my parents until the ambulance arrived. And then she insisted on riding with them to the hospital. Disorientated and confused, my parents clung to Maria as she embraced them with her love and gentleness.

She saw her own father and mother in my parents

When I finally talked to her later, Maria told me she saw her own mother and father in my parents—helping them as if they were her own. In the hospital, my parents were in separate areas, and my father kept calling for my mother. But their new friend convinced the doctors to put them in the same room.

Maria didn’t leave their bedsides until my sister arrived several hours later. But even then, she called the hospital daily to see how they were doing. She showed the love and concern I was praying my parents would feel. My mother told me it was as if I had also been by their sides. In fact, they even called her by my name—and she always responded. I see this as evidence of a universal Father-Mother God, whose love impels us to be impartial in our affection.

God's goodness in action.

As I follow the reports of devastation in the aftermath of Asia’s tsunamis, I realize that this same love is in action there. There are reports of people risking their lives to help others. There are families reaching out and caring for children with missing parents. There are people in the villages donating clothing, food and supplies until outside aid arrives.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health, "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." The compassion of divine Love bonds us as one family, no matter where on earth we are.