said
He said. She said. What if I said that I love walking barefoot on the sand by the ocean? What if you said you love to stand in the rain and catch the drops on your tongue? What did our mother mean when the last line she said in her letter to dad was, “I have a surprise for you…” We will never know what was said because they are both gone and there is only the letter. I remember what was said at the funerals as we stood shoulder to shoulder with tears of loss trickling down our cheeks. What will be said of us when we are gone?
The Indigenous, the tribes of Israel and the storytellers said it in words danced around the fire long ago in tales told of stories from the past. In history, the hurtful also pelted words of hate at those who were different; yet there were the compassionate who said very softly in a child’s ear, “I love you.” I have not forgotten words that hurt but have said that I was sorry too. I saw her on the stage as she spoke her words of truth with music resounding in the background, sat in the audience of the theatre or walked through a gallery as we said to one another, “isn’t that beautiful?”
All the words said over dinner or conference tables or said in the dark recesses of the night. What if I said it matters? I have also heard the lies dripping with deceit when some said, “it won’t matter” when it did. They said that they cared, but did they really?
And now here we are with all that’s said and done. The prophets from thousands of years ago said there would be a Savior born. They said he would rescue his people; this king in swaddling clothes. He said he would die, but be raised to life and that he is with his Father but will return. Some said that’s not true. We said, “we believe you.” And so as we prepare our hearts for this season, we remember what was said over 600 years ago to Mary by the angel Gabriel:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus - Immanuel. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end” Luke 1:31-33