Unexpected Encounters of Urban Life

I am walking on the river walk along Riverside Drive, just a bit north of Angela Boulevard.  I see a man coming toward me on a bicycle, and I watch him because he seems a bit wobbly.  When he gets even with me, he stops and says, “Could you do something for me?”

I give him a questioning look.  “Will you pray for me?” he asks.

“Sure,” I say.

He holds out his hand, so I take it.  He looks at me expectantly.  I conclude he is waiting for me to pray, right here, right now.  “May you be blessed,” I say.  “May your needs be met.  May you find peace in your heart.”

He says, “Thank you.” We withdraw our hands.  He rides south and I go on walking north.  But I continue to ponder the touch of his hand and the sound of my words.