Article September 20, 1999 Issue

An exchange across cultures

Love makes sisters out of strangers.

By Amanda Holmes Duffy

I was living in Moscow and it was winter. I had walked some distance on an errand only to find that the shop did not have what I needed. On my way back across the ice and snow, from what seemed to be a wasted trip, I saw an elderly woman in a thin coat scavenging for food in a dumpster.

I spoke to her and gave her some money. The woman released the chicken bones in her hand and crossed herself. Her face softened. "God is good," she said. I realized the profound truth in these words. God was the source of goodness for her and for me. God's eternal supply was satisfying all His children and uniting them in His love.

The woman and I looked into each other's eyes, and at that moment we seemed to know and understand each other as sisters. I felt a deep closeness to her, and also a feeling of timelessness. I saw there was no reason to hold back, and I gave her all the money in my pocket. Again the woman said, "God is good."

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