Let us let go of the labels
In Luke’s Gospel, there is a story about a “bent woman.” We don’t know her name. Just the label that has been given to her. A label she has carried for 18 years. Those around her put her in a “box”—with an inhumane pecking order. They wanted her to live “imprisoned” by her name (label).
Have you ever felt “bent,” bound or restricted in some way?
Have you ever felt weighted by a label (or a “box” filled with shame)?
Have you ever felt invisible? To those around you? Or to God?
This is an amazing and life-giving story.
Luke writes simply, “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.'”
In other words…
“I can see you.”
“You matter.”
Can we pause, and allows those words to take root?
This story could have gone another way. Jesus could have finished his lesson, and moved on to the next town, and no one—literally, no one—would have known, or even given any thought to this woman. She was invisible.
But Jesus didn’t move on. He stopped.
Not because this woman asked him to.
Not because she offered a reward.
Not because she believed.
Not because he felt coerced or pressured or needed brownie points.
He stopped. Because he saw her. Yes, she mattered.
Which meant that he saw more than a superficial, cruel, limiting label. He saw not just a “bent woman,” but a “daughter of Abraham, and an heir to the blessings of God.”
Which meant that he saw a woman now free to pass those blessings on to anyone she touches. It is no surprise that he said this on a Sabbath. He invited this woman, even bent, to rest. He said, in effect, “Now that I see you, you are safe.”
Jesus sees and affirms the dignity at her core. Not the label. Not the box.
And I can hear the voice of my hero, Mr. Rogers. “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
I do know this from my heart; it’s easier to not want to see.
I had a friend say to me, “I don’t pay attention to any of what’s happening right now. I just mind my own business, and focus on my life. It’s easier that way.”
It is not easy to let go of the belief system—made up of the labels or boxes—that we embrace. And can follow unwittingly.
And to be sure, Mr. Rogers spent his life gently pushing us to respond (to engage)—even when it felt uncomfortable. His mission, (we have to infer) was to make the world a better place by making its people feel better. And he invited all of us to share in that mission, too.
Yes, the cacophony in our world can be very loud. There is no argument about that.
And, if we’re at all insecure about our status (our wellbeing), we are susceptible to (blinded by) public opinion, social media pressure and mob mentality. Bluntly, we lose our way. Okay, I’ll personalize this; I lose my way. And here’s how I know; when I demean and exclude or don’t stand up to cruelty, when I withhold mercy or empathy (from others or myself) or when I forget the grounding power of kindness, I lose my way.
When I lose my way I wonder, did someone go through our world and change the price tags that determine what we value? And what grounds us?
In other words: Kindness Matters. Morality Matters. Humanity Matters. Character Matters. Integrity Matters. Humility Matters. Decency Matters.
When brings us back to the story with Jesus and the “bent” woman.
Let’s just say that not everyone in the crowd that day was thrilled. I’ve learned the hard way, that as long as there are overly-religious people (you know, people whose blind unquestioning devotion to rigid and dogmatic rules trump kindness and compassion every time; you know, people who clear their throats a lot, just to let you know you’re on the wrong side of the issue); there will be disgruntlement, even in the presence of mercy and grace. These are people who prefer to use labels. It’s easier to know where others fit. And easier to keep those who are different, in their place.
I don’t think Jesus was itching for a fight, but he gave them his two cents. Saying, “Dudes… you are definitely missing the boat here. I don’t really care how religious you are. This isn’t a contest. And the sad thing is, you suffer a form of blindness, because you are hypocrites.” Hypocrite—from the Greek hupokrites—relates to the practice when ancient theatrical performers hid behind the masks of a particular character. Sometimes the mask keeps us from seeing. And sometimes it keeps us from trusting.
What did the bent woman do? She recognized that she was more than the label. And she began to do a boogie, right there in the street. (Okay, that may be a minor free translation, but I’m sticking with it.)
What I do know, is that she ceased striving. Quit being fearful.
Jesus sees and affirms the dignity at her core. Not the label. Not the box.
The power of Grace allows us to choose to love, or set right, or grant mercy, or receive mercy. To forgive, to apologize and to let go of labels (for ourself and for those around us).
It really does my heart good to follow the Buddhist monks in their Walk for Peace. They are in South Carolina on the 83rd day of their 120-day walk that began in Fort Worth, TX, and will end in Washington, DC, covering over 2,300 miles. And the crowds who gather each day joining them on their way. Thank you for reminding us to choose peace.
And we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “MLK His dream was an expansively diverse America where every human being was afforded dignity, where the color of one’s skin was not a crime or a penalty, where each person could live unfettered by the prejudices and phobias of their neighbors. His dream was a peaceful nation marked by compassion; a ‘network of mutuality’ whose people appealed to their better angels and vanquished their lesser demons, knowing how tethered together their destinies were.” (Thank you, John Pavlovitz)
And yes, I am a football fan. And yes, I watched my Seattle Seahawks. And yes, I’m smiling big.
Thank you for your patience as technology issues still plague us. My email address tdh@terryhershey.com is still being adapted and reset, and my deep apologies to all who emailed me and had it returned. For the next wee bit, please email me at tdhersheyster@gmail.com and I will respond.
Quote for our week… “Your yes to God demands your no to all injustice, to all evil, to all lies, to all oppression and violation of the weak and the poor, to all godlessness and mocking of the Holy.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I am so very grateful that you are a part of Sabbath Moment. And grateful for the support that makes it possible. Please, pass Sabbath Moment on to friends. And invite them to join us.
BULLETIN BOARD
Today’s Photo Credit: “Dear Terry, Mount Rainier looked extraordinary the other day so I stopped my car, got out and put the lens through a hole in a chain link fence! I thought the goalpost added a finishing touch! I like setting little goals and a having an occasional touchdown! God bless you always,” Marguerite Gerontis… Thank you Marguerite… Thank you to all, I love your photos… please, keep sending them… send to tdhersheyster@gmail.com
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Help make Sabbath Moment possible. I write SM because I want to live with a soft heart; to create a place for sanctuary, empathy, inclusion, compassion and kindness… a space where we are refueled to make a difference. SM remains free.
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POEMS AND PRAYERS
“On this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday,
I believe this moment in time asks something of all of us.
It asks not just for us to dream, but for us to come together to create a new vision for who we are and what we want to stand for.
It asks us to lay down outdated affiliations,
hardened judgments, and inherited fears.
It asks us to stop believing that any one person will save us,
because that belief robs us of our own power and responsibility.
It keeps us small. It keeps us frightened. It keeps us in denial.
My friends, this is not a moment for spectators.”
Maria Shriver
Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May prayers for peace
Give a heavy heart feathers.
Clearing the path
Of all feeling weathered.
Lifting the weights
Off tired shoulders
Needing a break
From carrying boulders.
Patriots of Peace
Are deserving of grace.
Those who walk with compassion
And give but never take.
In fact,
Rather than taking
They humbly accept
Love and kindness
Not as a debt.
Not as something
To be repaid
Nor as something to be earned.
But rather unconditional
Untethered
In return.
We live
We laugh
We love
We learn…
Generosity is the balm
That mends our burns…
Anna M. Ortiz 2026
MUSIC FOR THE SOUL
Let There Be Peace On Earth — Voices of Hope Children’s Choir
