Walking and Leaping and Praising God!

In the lesson from Acts today, a man lame from birth is placed at the Beautiful Gate entrance to the temple to beg for alms as he does each day. Peter and John hear his pleas, and Peter "looks at him intently" and says "Look at us."

What must have happened in that stare...

then Peter says, "I have no gold or silver but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk."

They take him by the hand, raise him up and he walks! and he enters the temple with them "walking and leaping and praising God!"

So much to take away from this reading, not the least of which is the healing power of an intent gaze. Seeing and being seen is so healing. May our eyes be caught in a gaze with another today, and may we feel the healing power of being raised up and go about our day "walking and leaping and praising God."

God knows we all need it.