What do you make of it?
It happened on Christmas Eve, at midnight mass. As I looked around the crowd, I was surprised to see that every face felt familiar, even the faces of total strangers. I recognized each person as someone with whom I had shared my life even though I did not know them. I felt like we, friend and stranger alike, had been through a lot together, an inescapable bond tying us tight.
Every face was familiar, not in the sense of me identifying them but in the sense of me knowing them, liking them, considering them friends. The experience was perceptual, not affecting my thinking, which was as analytical as ever.
I experimented with the perception, looking from one face to another, playing with the experience, seeing if it continued. It did. Every face belonged to someone who would warmly welcome me as a fond acquaintance. If I approached them, we would talk easily, probably hug each other as old friends do, even though we had never talked before.
It was not a life-changing experience, not yet anyway. What do you make of it, old friend?
PHOTO PRAYER 2026-02
Many of the people in this photo are friends and acquaintances from church, at a Sunday coffee hour at the Chris White Gallery in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo copyright 2025; text 2026 by Danny Nelson Schweers.
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COMMENTS
Faye G. wrote:
Ah Danny — The glimpse of things to come. You have a heart that saw the body of Christ.
Audrey C. wrote:
Great photo Danny. Funny though not haha, I do not see my familiar face and I feel some kind of way about that. Next year, rather this year I will make a better effort to get to that service.
Patricia W. wrote:
Love this. Hope to see you soon.
Elaine H. wrote:
Danny, thank you for sharing that very moving experience! —- Elaine
Mike C. wrote:
That was beautiful.