Edited by Jim McCrory, Tuesday 7 October 2025 at 08:08
"Didn’t all ten receive the same healing this fellow did?
Where are the other nine? "
Where Are the Other Nine?
It’s not much to report, I suppose. But this morning, as I drove out of my street, I paused and flashed my lights to let a father and his little girl cross before I went further. They stepped out hand in hand, and when they reached the other side, the girl turned and waved, a small, bright flutter of her hand encouraged by her father’s smile.
It was such a simple thing, yet it stayed with me as I drove on. That wave was more than a polite thank you. It felt like a shared recognition that we need each other, that life is not just about getting where we’re going but noticing those around us. Gratitude has that power. It lifts the moment and lightens the heart. And yet, I can’t help but notice how rare it seems to be these days with a world with spiraling ingrates.
The smallest act of gratitude costs nothing. It is an acknowledgment that we are not self-sufficient, that we depend on the kindness and patience of others. But we live in a time that celebrates independence and self-made lives. To say “thank you” is to admit we have received something, and many people now seem uncomfortable with that. We rush through our days distracted, often too busy to notice what has been done for us, let alone to express appreciation.
It reminds me of one of Jesus’ most striking questions: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Ten men with leprosy cried out to Him for mercy. All ten were healed. Yet only one, a Samaritan, turned back, threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. The others rushed ahead with their new lives and never looked back.
That story still speaks loudly today. We know people like that. Gratitude is not just a social grace. It is a spiritual posture. It recognises that life itself is a gift, that every breath and every kindness received is not owed but given. Without gratitude, we grow entitled and indifferent. We stop seeing the good around us. We even stop seeing God’s hand in our lives. Like the nine lepers, we hurry on, healed but unchanged.
And there are consequences when gratitude fades. Communities weaken when kindness goes unacknowledged. Relationships become colder when generosity is expected rather than appreciated. Even our care for the natural world diminishes when we no longer feel thankful for its beauty and abundance. Gratitude nurtures reverence. Without it, the heart hardens, and the world grows smaller.
The little girl’s wave was a small thing, but it reminded me that gratitude is not gone. It still exists in these fleeting, everyday moments. And perhaps that is where its renewal must begin — not in grand gestures or speeches, but in a child’s wave, a sincere thank you, a quiet prayer of thanks.
Jesus noticed the one who returned. He still does. And maybe His question still lingers over our own hurried, distracted age: Where are the other nine?
And remember dear reader, I am deeply grateful for reading these thoughts as it is encouraging to know that others are on the same page in the metaphorical sense.
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"Didn’t all ten receive the same healing this fellow did?
Where are the other nine? "
Where Are the Other Nine?
It’s not much to report, I suppose. But this morning, as I drove out of my street, I paused and flashed my lights to let a father and his little girl cross before I went further. They stepped out hand in hand, and when they reached the other side, the girl turned and waved, a small, bright flutter of her hand encouraged by her father’s smile.
It was such a simple thing, yet it stayed with me as I drove on. That wave was more than a polite thank you. It felt like a shared recognition that we need each other, that life is not just about getting where we’re going but noticing those around us. Gratitude has that power. It lifts the moment and lightens the heart. And yet, I can’t help but notice how rare it seems to be these days with a world with spiraling ingrates.
The smallest act of gratitude costs nothing. It is an acknowledgment that we are not self-sufficient, that we depend on the kindness and patience of others. But we live in a time that celebrates independence and self-made lives. To say “thank you” is to admit we have received something, and many people now seem uncomfortable with that. We rush through our days distracted, often too busy to notice what has been done for us, let alone to express appreciation.
It reminds me of one of Jesus’ most striking questions: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Ten men with leprosy cried out to Him for mercy. All ten were healed. Yet only one, a Samaritan, turned back, threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. The others rushed ahead with their new lives and never looked back.
That story still speaks loudly today. We know people like that. Gratitude is not just a social grace. It is a spiritual posture. It recognises that life itself is a gift, that every breath and every kindness received is not owed but given. Without gratitude, we grow entitled and indifferent. We stop seeing the good around us. We even stop seeing God’s hand in our lives. Like the nine lepers, we hurry on, healed but unchanged.
And there are consequences when gratitude fades. Communities weaken when kindness goes unacknowledged. Relationships become colder when generosity is expected rather than appreciated. Even our care for the natural world diminishes when we no longer feel thankful for its beauty and abundance. Gratitude nurtures reverence. Without it, the heart hardens, and the world grows smaller.
The little girl’s wave was a small thing, but it reminded me that gratitude is not gone. It still exists in these fleeting, everyday moments. And perhaps that is where its renewal must begin — not in grand gestures or speeches, but in a child’s wave, a sincere thank you, a quiet prayer of thanks.
Jesus noticed the one who returned. He still does. And maybe His question still lingers over our own hurried, distracted age: Where are the other nine?
And remember dear reader, I am deeply grateful for reading these thoughts as it is encouraging to know that others are on the same page in the metaphorical sense.
Luke 17:11-19 "Where are the nine?
Image by Copilot