Yesterday I get on email from Providence (PA) Meeting that they would be holding a vigil for the 4,000th American troop death. I was struck that it had not been much more than a year since I had been to a vigil at with them commemorating the 3000th death.
As the day went on I started wondering how can I commemorate this marker while here at school. I starting emailing the head of campus ministries and GPEACE, Guilford’s Peace club, about getting something organized for the next day so the news could get out. By the end of the day we had planned an event for this evening to be held on campus.
A candle light vigil with 20 people standing in a circle happened this evening at 8pm. I had just come from Bible study where we had talked about the Resurrection. I brought my Bible because it is my new best friend. I had been asked to talk a little bit about why we were gathered but was instead lead to read from Luke 24: 28-31
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
How can we open our arms and invite others to come eat with us? What will it take for us to have our eyes opened to recognize what we are missing?
Max Carter went on to include that Jesus at this point had been traveling for two hours with these men before he was recognized. What does it mean for him to be recognized when he is breaking the bread but not when he is explaining the Scriptures?
I found this time very moving to take another hour out of my very full evening to stand in prayer recognizing that Guilford Students do care about the war even though it was the beginning of the week.
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1 comments:
That's one of my favorite passages in the Bible. The road to Emmaus. There's a reason the Berrigans named their community Emmaus House. You've explained it nicely.
One scholar (I want to say Marcus Borg, but I'm not sure) said it was actually a man and a woman on the road -- notice that the second disciple isn't named, only Cleopas. The theory is that in the early church a husband and wife often traveled together.
Anyway, Veterans for Peace and AFSC organized a candlelight vigil in SF Civic Center on Monday night. They had 4,000 candles but apparently the wind kept blowing them out.
In peace and friendship,
Chris M.
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