The Words Of The Prophets

This week I had the privilege of jogging across the Williamsburg Bridge that connects New York City’s Lower East Side to Brooklyn.  It’s a concrete walkway high in the sky – over vehicles and trains – used by pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists.  It’s been discovered by graffiti artists as well.

I was truly enjoying the experience, aware of what the exertion was doing to my body, and pondering in my spirit, as comes so naturally while jogging.  Looking down near my feet I saw the word “Love” written in beautiful graffiti.  A few steps later, in the same script was the word “Is.”  Soon after, the word “Always.”  I finally realized that this was a message, given one word at a time so that it unfolded as a person moved along.

The full message read:

Love

Is

Always

The

Appropriate

Response.

Jesus said that everything God requires is fulfilled if I just love the Lord, love myself, and love my neighbor.  I’ve read that many times on onion skin paper with gold edges, inside a leather bound Bible.  Some preachers tell me that the God-Man who quoted those words had a serene face with a glow emanating from it.  Here, in spray paint on cement, put there by who-knows-who, was the same spiritual truth.

Simon & Garfunkel, in the song “The Sound Of Silence” told us that “the words of the prophets are written on subway walls and tenement halls.”  No doubt the prophets have also visited Williamsburg Bridge.