It was about a year ago when I walked into her room at Belmont Village down in Lincoln Park. Her children had gotten a hold of us at church, letting us know things had taken a turn. Dementia had transformed May’s mind in the handful of years leading up to that day and the beloved child of God lying there looked very different than most of us might remember her. In that bed was a woman with sunken cheeks and disheveled hair, wearing a simple nightgown.

Today's gospel is about access. Access to Jesus. Who has it, and who doesn’t have it. Access is a currency we deal in all the time, consciously or unconsciously. Consciously is when we pay extra at an Airbnb to get beach access. Unconscious examples include things like a zip code, an education level, or a network of friends. These types of things give us access to all sorts of things we take for granted: libraries, parks, social stability, and information.

Last night for a Valentine’s Day date, Pierrette and I did what we often do—we went out to hear live music. Last night’s show was nearby—at the Jazz Showcase in the old  Dearborn Station. The Alexander McLean Project, a collaboration of vocalist Dee  Alexander and band leader, composer, and guitarist John McLean, was just what we wanted for a delightful evening. They played old standards like My Funny Valentine  (of course) and new tunes they are working on for their next record. Their gesture to the larger political winds were subdued but not subtle—they signaled in no uncertain terms that the so-called “Love Day” shouldn’t be just one day in mid-February but every day. Ms. Alexander couldn’t have said it better had she been in a pulpit.  

We can be free, spontaneous, unpredictable, improbable, and content in gratitude, not because it is a requirement, but because it reflects the confidence we possess when we cry out “Have mercy!”