A year of hope

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the jubilee year. The last time he did so, or at least it was a Holy Year, was in 2016: the Year of Mercy. That was also the theme of the WYD. The pope called us not to be "couch potatoes."

You can't really plan this mercy. Then it becomes fake. Maybe you can if you plan a visit to a refugee center, but the best is when it comes from the heart.

Now today something wonderful wanted to happen. I happened to be near Schiphol Airport. I happened to be waiting at gate F8 and before I realized it, there was a plane waiting for me, which at the time of writing is on its way to Panama. All kidding aside, this is obviously planned. I checked in yesterday and had no choice of window or aisle seat. I just went for seat 33J. Somewhere between two solo travelers like me.

Everything went smoothly. I am so relaxed that it is becoming a habit to travel. I was just surprised that the signs at the airport are sometimes a little unclear, but the only stress I had is that I forgot to pack my slippers. But there are worse things, aren't there?

I act so relaxed that I don't have to pay close attention because flying becomes routine. It's actually primal. But the very moment you slack off and don't pay attention, God comes with a gift. Just when you don't expect it.

I get on the plane and arrive at my seat. There are a young adult boy and girl sitting there. I thought, oh, they belong together. I had that right, but not for the reason I thought. They looked like two lovers, but in reality they were brother and sister. They were together with the whole family, but their father was in another place. All alone.

The conversation didn't last long. In fact, it couldn't really be called a conversation. The Lord's Prayer takes longer. They said their father sat in seat 36D. I didn't hesitate for a moment when I saw him waving and went over to him. I could easily take a detour and now I am sitting comfortably in the aisle where I can stretch my legs whenever I want. (Making the cover photo of this blog took more time to explain.)

So mercy can also be accomplished in a split second. After all, the heart functions faster than the mind.

Maybe now that you've read to the end, you might think I don't have anything better to write about. But yes, that cheap hotel or expensive refreshments no longer amaze me. It's the little things that do it. You don't have to want to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Look around you. Open your heart. Then peace will come naturally.

Happy New Year!