I climbed into an Uber one afternoon and the driver greeted me with a smile that filled the whole car.
As we pulled away, he waved at people on the sidewalk, nodded to shopkeepers, laughed with other drivers. It seemed like everyone knew him. I finally stated the obvious, "You know everybody." He looked at me and smiled even wider and said in broken English, "Much friends in the world. Not many possessions, not much power, not much success, just much friends in the world." It felt like a small benediction riding through the cobblestone streets.
I wonder what it would look like if we live that way, greeting strangers as neighbors, meeting the world with open eyes and an open heart, assuming connection instead of distance, kindness instead of caution.
In Memphis in our daily rush, even in the midst of our divided world, maybe the real measure of a good life, the life I want to have, is how many moments we create where someone feels seen, welcomed, and known. Much friends in the world, that feels like a beautiful way to live. This is Dr. Scott Morris for Church Health.
