| 19 February 2010
I was visting in the Orcopampa mining camp with Nicolás Gonzales. We had gone to the house of one of the believers, looking for him, but his wife said that he had gone to the market.
We drove to the market, parked, and were scanning the booths outside the market when a man came up to the car. Thinking that he wanted to say something to me, I opened the window. He leaned down, spit in my face, and walked away.
He took me completely by surprise. The man must have had a bad cold because my face, nose, even my glasses were covered with yellowish sticky spittle. I tried to clean up my face and glasses with my handkerchief, but after the initial surprise, I could feel my blood pressure rising, my face growing red with anger.
Who was that man? What right did he have to spit in my face? I had never done him any harm; I didn’t even know him. I felt totally humiliated. I said to Nicolás who was beside me: “What should I do? Should I go to the police? Should I go after the man and give him a good beating?”
Below: The Orcopampa mining camp.
But the man had disappeared by then. Nicolás tried to calm me down saying, “Take it easy, brother; calm down.” But why did he spit in my face?
Then I began to think of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why did they spit in his face? He is Creator of heaven and earth. He had come to earth to save us from our sins and to reconcile us to God. Why would anyone want to spit in His face?
Then I began to think: Who am I? Just another sinner like that man that spit in my face. Why should I think that I am so great?
My Lord suffered that terrible humiliation for me. My heart was lifted up in worship and thanksgiving to my glorious Lord. I began to thank God that this man had spit in my face, because it caused me to realize more what Jesus had done for me.
That was maybe 20 years ago. I still thank the Lord for that experience. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”
