Words Of The Prophets
Life’s deepest messages sometimes come to us in surprising ways. That happened to me one morning as I was out for a run in New York City.
On that particular day I had the privilege of crossing the Williamsburg Bridge, which connects the Lower East Side to Brooklyn. It’s a concrete walkway high in the sky, over
vehicles and trains, used by pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists. Apparently, it has been discovered by street artists as well.
I was enjoying the experience, aware of what the exertion was doing to my body, and letting my mind wander as occurs so naturally while running. Looking near my feet I saw the word “Love,” written in graffiti. A few steps later, was the word “Is.” Soon after, “Always.” I then realized that this was a message, given one word at a time so it unfolded as a person moved along.
The full message read:
Love
Is
Always
The
Appropriate
Response.
Love is always the appropriate response. I’ve read that sentiment many times on onion skin paper with gold edges, inside a leather-bound holy book believed to be divinely inspired. Here, on bare concrete, in ordinary spray paint, put there by who-knows-who was the same spiritual truth.
Simon & Garfunkel, in the song, “The Sounds Of Silence,” told us that prophets’ words often appear in the most unlikely places. No doubt the prophets have been to Williamsburg Bridge.
