The Woman who was bent

It was awful; the discomfort, the pain, the humiliation, the shame. When I was young I had seen others like me; bent, misshapen. I had felt pity,yes, but I had looked the other way, hurried by, unwilling to acknowledge them. And now, here I was, bent, misshapen in body and, if I dare admit it, in spirit too. My view of the world, of life, had shrunk to ground level. I no longer looked up to the sky, to the sun, to people's eyes. It was too painful, in more ways than one. I still went to the synagogue. I still hoped, longed, for relief; for forgiveness; for healing; for an answer, but none came. And then that day... I was there in my usual place alone, physically and spiritually. No-one wanted to be near me, not even God. Then suddenly there was silence, an expectant hush all around. I raised my eyes as far as I could and I saw everyone looking at me. I froze. Then I heard a voice calling me to come; calling me with authority but calling with love and I moved. How I got to him I can't remember; nor how long it took me but nothing was going to stop me; not the overwhelming silence; not the people's stares; not the waves of disgust, hostility. Nothing. I heard his voice again - Woman, you are set free. I felt his hands touch me and fire spread through my whole body, through my mind, through my spirit. I straightened up and I looked at him. I looked straight at him. I looked straight into his eyes and I praised God. Oh how I praised God. c Kathleen Wilks