Have you ever experienced a moment when you feel like you witnessed the reign of God? When even, if only briefly, you touched the promise of God’s mañana? En español, mañana has multiple meanings with shades of difference. It can mean the morning, or tomorrow, as in the next day, or it can suggest an indefinite future. Mañana es una palabra, that captures in one word the sense of God’s reign as in-breaking, as both present and not-yet, aquí y allá.

Many years ago, I had an opportunity to interpret for the talented musician Stevie Wonder. An artist respected for his social conscience, he recently explained to an audience in the United Kingdom, “You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth. Truth is shortly after my birth I became blind." The day we met, he was one of the performers at a “Housing Now!” rally advocating for affordable homes for all. Among the tens of thousands of participants on the National Mall were some Deaf students from Gallaudet University.

When they learned that I knew sign, they asked me if I could introduce them to Stevie Wonder, whom I did not know personally. I went up to a security officer and made the request. A minute later, I’m explaining the situation to Stevie Wonder. He replied with a request of his own, how does one sign “I love you”? Guiding his hands, he touched the words.

Stevie then turned around and moved toward the Deaf jóvenes; he stopped before them and signed clearly “I love you!” The unexpected greeting in their own language brought exclamations, signs, gritos de alegría y tears of joy in response. Abrazos followed all around and in that moment, a flash of insight, this is what the prophet Isaiah means: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears de los sordos se abrirán” (Is. 35:5).

This is the same message that Jesus conveys to the disciples of the incarcerated John the Baptist. Go back and tell John what you have witnessed, the blind see, the deaf hear, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them (Mt. 11:5).

The Word-of God is made flesh. God-with-us is one of us. In and through the incarnation, divine communication is embodied in the Logos, expressed in our diverse languages, lived in our different bodies. This is a source of the joy we celebrate on Gaudete Sunday, the hope we strive to live into, cultivate, and embrace.

On that day, many years ago, in the company of thousands united by a desire for housing justice, en solidaridad with many made poor, vulnerable and homeless, the presence of God’s reign broke-in. Barriers to communication fell, obstacles to relationships collapsed. In a moment of convivencia, I witnessed una promesa of God’s mañana.