Then she said to her mistress,
“If only my master were with the prophet
who is in Samaria!
For he would heal him of his leprosy.” – II Kings 5:3
The fifth chapter belongs to him.
It’s his story, Naaman
powerful commander of the army,
friend of the King of Aram, (Israel’s enemy)
possessor of unimaginable riches
and yet, marked by leprosy.
It’s his story of
learning to trust the word of
a prophet who didn’t care to meet him, even
if he was famous, and
didn’t want his rich gifts either.
It’s his story.
And yet his story begins with
an unnamed girl,
little maid to Naaman’s wife,
stolen from her birth-land
captive child, displaced one,
initiating hope.
How did she know of the prophet
to be so sure,
to raise her voice
and speak her truth?
“If only my master were with the prophet
who is in Samaria!
For he would heal him of his leprosy.”
When the water settles
I wonder if Naaman remembers the
astonishing confidence of
the little maid?
Light a candle and hold in your heart the names of those whose quiet courage have guided you. Let their quiet faith become a source of gratitude and strength.
Recall times when you had courage to speak a word of truth, hope, or compassion in a situation where you felt small, unsure, or without power. How do you summon courage to speak?
Where, amid the violence, displacement, or deep division in our world, might the quiet, courageous voices of the vulnerable be pointing us toward healing and a different way forward—and how can we learn to listen?
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