麻豆约拍

Good morning.

The metro in Madrid was full of people going out for the evening when the peace was shattered by a man on his mobile karaoke machine.

Like many in that city he was down on his luck. He might well have been one of those whose home is a cardboard box erected each night in one of the squares there.

Needless to say, as he got going, he was hardly Mick Jagger at the recent sell out at Glastonbury, who today celebrates his 70th birthday!

People either ignored him or looked at the floor as he proffered his begging bowl.

That was apart from one young man. Sitting there, his reaction moved us all. His eyes lit up, a beaming smile filled his face and he not only listened but sang along. He knew the song!

The young man had Downe鈥檚 Syndrome.

Never mind that our resident underground artist could hardly sing or that he was a beggar. The joy that filled our fellow traveller was infectious as he gratefully joined in the gift of music that was being offered to him despite all its imperfections.

All labels and masks disappeared. Our unkempt and bearded vocalist was no longer some hobo who you would rather ignore and nor was his fan somebody with learning difficulties who was different and might somehow need our help. Their meeting and the way they responded to each other fleshed out those powerful words of the German theologian Paul Tillich: "....simply accept the fact that you are accepted".

Lord, help us today to find joy and acceptance in the most unexpected of people, places and situations. Amen.