God is tenacious.

Even while respecting our free will to spiritually self-destruct, he never gives up on us.

I was standing at a bus stop earlier today when an old woman trundled by. She was slowly pushing a heavily laden four-wheeled utility cart. It was a sturdy contraption meant for hauling heavy loads and she had it piled high with an assortment of mismatched cloth bags stuffed to bursting with what I assumed were her earthly possessions. But what caught my eye was the roughly 2-foot square plain white sign attached to the front of her cart that proclaimed in bold black script: “JESUS IS THE ANSWER”.

She didn’t say a word but simply wove in and out among the passengers as they stood waiting for their buses. Most were fixated on their phones and probably didn’t notice her rolling by.

Or did they?

I certainly did.

JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

A flurry of questions crossed my mind as I watched her give her silent witness: Is she homeless? Does she get any abuse for her sign? Does everyone just ignore her, or does she get an occasional amen? Is she crazy? (Does she smell?)

She was conservatively dressed somewhat like a modern-day Catholic nun, with a ¾-length skirt and loose overblouse. Her hair was naturally gray and thick and she wore it short but long enough to release a wave. Her shoes were flat and “sensible” and appeared to be relatively new.

She looked clean. She looked healthy. She looked strong. She had the air of a librarian or government administrator, but there she was, pushing a cart full of her prized possessions heralding a sign about Jesus.

I had a premonition that where she now was I would someday be.

I could see myself pushing such a cart, bearing such a sign. I already have the beginnings of a cart. And sensible shoes. And a wave.

JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

On the bus and afterwards, the more I thought about this woman and her silent witness, the more, in my mind, I gave her a silent amen and a silent thumbs up:

JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

It doesn’t matter the question. It doesn’t matter the question. No matter what query you can formulate, the response always defaults to JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

Miraculously, the default is always JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

No other default is possible.

No other default is necessary.

Amen, cart lady, wherever you are.

Amen, and again AMEN!