A. has another dream

Today I visited A., our Persian friend who is battling gastrointestinal cancer. She had the last of her series of eight major chemos this past week. We are praying that this will lead to another remission. Her doctor has told her that her cancer is incurable. Two years ago she went through six rounds of chemo that bought her a year of health. Now she has gone through another eight rounds of even more powerful chemo, to be followed with pills. Her two year old son, M., and her faithful husband, H. have been her inspiration for continuing to fight for life.

But it has been a mighty battle. A. is physically decimated. She is now confined to her bed, moving in and out of consciousness. This afternoon she told me she had had a dream where a dark-skinned woman "with eyes like honey" and a glowing face came to her, pulling a black scarf over her hair. She said she was Mary, Jesus' mother, but A. was troubled and refused to believe her.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because her skin was dark, like a sun-tan. But her eyes were like honey," A. whispered.

"But A.," I said. "Mary was a Jew; she almost certainly had dark skin and dark hair." At this A.s eyes flashed. "What, Mary was a Jew? Then I not need to be suspicious!"

(I take so much for granted. How could A. not realize Mary was Jewish? But probably the image she has of the Mother of Christ is more like Raphael's fair-skinned, blonde Madonnas than a Semitic peasant girl. There is so much to learn. And unlearn.)

"No, you don't need to doubt. Mary was no stranger to suffering; she stayed by her Son as He died on the cross, you know. I'm not surprised she would come to you in your suffering. Or that Jesus would want his mother to comfort you." With that A. smiled and closed her eyes and fell asleep.