The vandals didn't notice

Monday at noon I left my office to take a walk in the beautiful warm sun and snappy fall weather. As I strolled down the corridor in front of my office, a neighbor caught my attention and pointed out graffiti that had been etched into her storefront windows over the weekend. Someone with no respect for other people’s property had sketched words and logos into the glass and ruined the panes. She noted that every store on the courtyard, and some around the corner had been etched—except for mine.

As I looked around, she was right. My windows were the only ones untouched. I was silent, not sure what to say, a bit awestruck as to why I as spared. The windows cost around $2000 to replace.

I certainly didn’t gloat about my exemption from the vandalism, or feel tempted to even think that way. I was sobered. I wanted to learn a spiritual lesson.

I thought about Jesus walking harmlessly through the mob who wanted to throw him over the cliff and kill him. The angry group was so caught up into their evil way of thinking that they never noticed Jesus walk through their midst, and stroll out and away from their gathering until he was completely out of their reach, and safe.

I wondered if perhaps my office space emitted those kinds of qualities Jesus manifested that day, qualities of love and peace that the angry thought does not take note of and thus overlooks.

Or maybe they did notice my windows, but decided that it was a space to respect and honor, and thus leave alone. I do not know.

I’m still thinking on this.

The presumed guilty party rode by our office spaces on a skateboard Monday afternoon showing his art work off to a friend who wanted to see what had been done. My neighbor ran to get her camera, but was too late. He was gone by then.

I continue to pray for the peace and safety of my neighborhood. I’ve never worried in the past, and do not worry today. But there is a lesson to be learned here, and I’m still listening.

It is not a lesson that promotes self-righteousness, of one occupant being more spiritually minded than another. I don’t believe in those kinds of comparisons. We’re all loved equally and universally by the one impartial divine Love.

I think the lesson is more on the line of, “I couldn’t see evidence of vandalism on my window-panes because I don’t believe God’s child is a vandal. God made man honest, compassionate, loving and thoughtful. This kind of man does not etch his neighbor’s windows.”

What do you think?