God is Everywhere

I had an overwhelming urge to cry and never stop, to open my soul like a tap and let all the liquid sadness pour out. His hums echoed in my chest like a veil of warmth. It was like a magic rain, falling from heaven.

It was then I realized that God is all around me, in the walls of my apartment, in the sound of cars honking on the street, in the voice of a stranger humming on the tube.

I only noticed him because he was wearing bright red shiny sneakers. He also carried a purple umbrella. I tried craning my body towards where he stood to hear his hums above the din on the train. It was crazy loud but yet, I could hear him clearly, as if he were singing just to me. I don't know what he was humming, but it vibrated, shook the whole train. No one seemed to notice, though. Was it just me?

His humming was electric. It soothed me the same way I'd imagine sitting in a room with the Dalai Lama to feel. A peace that outweighs any pain you may have hiding inside. An understanding that feels almost instinctive. It felt like a warm pair of arms wrapping themselves around me, cradling me with love.

I ran up to him when he got off the tube. It just happened to be my stop. I gave him a note that said, "Your music moved me. Thank you." He was beaming. He asked me my name and told me his was Christopher. Turns out the song is something he's been working on for a few years now and it's called "Cradle me Now."

We talked a bit before the next train and he said, "The song is about the way we all just need to be cradled sometimes, physically and psychically." Amazing.

I told him I'd been going through a rough patch and that his song made me feel better. He seemed so genuinely empathetic. He told me he was sorry and that he was glad his song touched me. We talked of our lives and he asked of my ethnic background. Turns out he's Irish and Rwandan. Very interesting combination.

I left the train with a new sort of peace I've never had before. Maybe ever. I'm not religious, but for the first time, I saw God in a complete stranger. I know they say God works in mysterious ways. I didn't believe it until now.