Finding Beauty in the Depths

By Kristine., Volunteer in Brooklyn

Those who have been on a New York City subway at least once know that it can be a place where human brokenness becomes manifested in all its depth: homelessness, addictions, poverty, ideologies – all of these and more are ubiquitous and ever visible.

As I entered the subway earlier today, I noticed a woman who was sitting in front of me. She had many huge and shabby bags next to her, which blocked half of the door. She had very beautiful facial features and big eyes that, however, communicated little life. It seemed that she was trying to hide from the world: her long hair covered her face, and her hoodie, in turn, covered her hair. It was clear that homelessness was not a stranger to her. Something in her deeply moved me. I gave her a little smile when our gazes briefly met and started praying for her in the silence of my heart. At the next stop, a man entered the subway. He began singing and playing the guitar. As the woman heard the music, she looked at him with her beautiful eyes and started smiling. I looked around – nobody had even noticed the man or acknowledged his presence in any way: everybody was on their phones with earphones on. She was the only one in the whole subway whose sensitivity was able to notice and welcome the beauty of the music. She was the only one who welcomed Christ’s effort to gladden her suffering heart in such a small and ordinary way. She smiled the whole time until it was time for her to leave the subway at the next station. The poor are our masters indeed!