I feel all alone in a traffic jam, Jesus

But I am not alone, of course. Several thousand other people are here, too. Yet I feel utterly solitary within the confines of my car.

Four lanes of the highway as far as my eyes can see are packed with cars unable to move. The standstill holds for miles ahead and behind. There is nothing I can do to change the situation.

At first I felt rage about my predicament. “Why is this happening again?” Then frustration. “I must get out of the city and move immediately to the country or a small town.”

But now I begin to feel relaxed, almost euphoric. “It’s rather nice not to be hurrying anywhere.” I’m curiously reminded of when I had the measles as a kid, and got to stay at home in bed instead of going to school. There was snow and ice outside, but inside my room it was warm and cozy.

Here on the crowded highway, trapped in what had seemed an antihuman situation, suddenly I feel human, Jesus. Humanity surrounds me, huddled in cars as I am. I know myself as a part of an immense adventure that is shared.