Unity

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial 

Today I am praying for unity in our world, nation, communities and families. Last week marked the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin. I did not watch the trial and am unsure how the jurors came to their decision. My heart is heavy about the entire event, as I am sure is true of many of us. President Obama's words to the country yesterday were hopeful as he made connections to what it is like to be a black male in our country. My hope is that at some point we begin to recognize our fears and begin dialogue that challenges the ethnic divides in our country. As I reflect on my fears and concerns about people who I see as different the challenge to transform is a constant. While writing it seems like we already know that each of us holds prejudices and maybe this is not necessary to write about. And still the Gospel of Jesus does not come fully to life if we are afraid of difference, and it is further deadened when we are ignorant of our own fears. It's that simple to say, or write, and yet much harder to live.

National Cathedral, Washington D.C.

The tour to Washington D.C. was fabulous last week. We rode bikes, saw a few movies and toured the city a bit. Thursday we went to the National Cathedral for a tour and stayed for Evensong. The choir from Christ's College of Cambridge, UK led us in song. The prayer was rich as we gathered behind the podium where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his last sermon four days before his assassination. The cathedral is breathtaking, no other words to describe it. What impressed me more than the gothic architecture is the way in which the National Cathedral functions to bring people from various denominations together. Their are nine chapels and my favorite was the Chapel of the Resurrection. The mosaics were beautiful and so contemporary. The stained glass throughout the Cathedral is astounding (I tried to get a picture but it turned out pretty lame).

Later that night we headed to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial (see picture above). Again, breathtaking.