The God-Smile

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016

She was at the supermarket check-out again today, the woman with the God-smile.

You know the sort of smile I mean. Not simply a twitch of the lips, but a light from within that changes a face, making the eyes glow, and turning a mouth into a speechless shape of love.

When we see a smile like that, we glimpse something sacred.

This woman’s path to God is different from mine.

She is Muslim and occasionally her smile encounters customer ignorance; but that doesn’t change her.

Possibly, she’s been told she must smile at customers.

Her greeting, however, is much more than politeness. She is giving away something of her spiritual self that people can take home with them.

In our evening prayers those special smiles come into our gratitude list, and some of them will nourish us for a long time. I’m still warmed by a smile given in Jerusalem nearly a decade ago.

Our group of pilgrims were at the wailing wall – the wall of the ancient temple where people gather for prayer. Men were at one end, women at the other.

Before we got out of the bus, we were made aware of protocol. When we had finished prayer, we had to walk away facing the wall. It was considered sacrilegious to turn ones back.

That prayer time against that ancient stone was significant, two faiths merging in the history of God’s Covenant. Full of wonder, I turned to walk away.

I had barely taken two steps when a fellow pilgrim stopped me.

I was supposed to face the wall.

Didn’t I know it was wrong to turn my back?

I was insulting Jewish tradition and setting a bad example for other visitors.

I shrivelled with shame.

My critic was right. I faced the wall and was taking a step backwards, when a hand closed around my wrist. Beside me was an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

I guessed she was Jewish, and while she didn’t speak English, her smile was total communication. Her brown eyes glowed with light, and a net of wrinkles stretched almost to laughter.

It was a God-smile full of love that brought healing. With relief, I smiled back.

The woman pointed to my mouth, to the sky and then she tugged the lobe of her right ear. I knew what this meant. “From your mouth to God’s ear.” She was letting me know that she had seen me praying.

I pointed to the sky, put a hand over my heart and pointed to her. She nodded, her smile like sunshine. We both knew that without words, we’d had a full conversation about faith.

Then it happened again. Full of feeling, I walked away with my back to the wall! At the edge of the crowd I stopped with a sudden ‘Oh no!’

I looked back, wondering if the woman was laughing, but I couldn’t see her.

But in memory I will always see her, and her God-smile will remain with me.