News of a simple act of kindness on a New York subway has gone around
the world. A young man, head covered by a hooded sweatshirt, fell asleep on the
shoulder of an older passenger. When someone else offered to wake the young
rider, the older man quietly said, “He must have had a long day. Let him sleep.
We’ve all been there.” Then he let the tired fellow rider sleep on his shoulder
for the better part of the next hour, until the older man gently eased away to
get up for his stop. In the meantime, another passenger snapped a photograph and
posted it on social media, and it went viral.
The man’s kindness seems to resonate with what we all long for—the
kindness that reflects the heart of God. We see this gentleness in Jesus when
His friends tried to protect Him from the noise and bother of little children.
Instead, Jesus insisted on taking the little ones in His arms and blessing them
(Mark 10:16). In the process, He invited all of us to trust Him like a little
child (vv.13-16).
Jesus lets us know that all of us are safe in His presence. Whether awake or asleep, we can lean on Him. When we’re exhausted, He provides a safe place for us to rest.
