Reflections on day 3

I begin today's reflection by admitting that weariness is setting in. I'm tired so please forgive the many typos that are bound to come! I started the day at Quaker worship. It was beautiful. There was a reading and then silence. As the Spirit moved people spoke. So much of what I've attended at Greenbelt has involved speaking or music or sound it was wonderful to rest in silence and just wait for the movement of the Spirit.

Then I went to the Big Communion. And when I say big I mean at least 15 thousand people. It was a beautiful service with powerful reflections of people sharing not only the areas of our world where injustice lives but how it has changed for the better and hoping for more change. How you might ask do you serve communion to 15 thousand people? People were given little bags with bread that was made on site by people gathered at the event and a small bottle of wine and groups of sat in circles and served one another. It was beautiful. I was invited along with 3 other United Church pilgrims to join with them. We may have been strangers but in the moment we were united. 

After some lunch it was on to listen to Jim Wallis speak on 10 personal things we can do to change the world. He started small. Live your children and make them the centre of everything you do. If you don't have children find a child who would benefit from your care and attention. Then the circle widens because if you love your kids, then you can't help but to love other people's kids and then what about all the children. It was a message that followed on his first talk that reminds us that we can change the world so that all the children of the world have better lives.

From there it was a visit with dear friends my roommate from school. How great it was to catch up with her and her husband. Then it was my last talk of the day. One of my personal favourites, Barbara Brown Taylor. She spoke on the language of darkness. She said that all too often the darkness is associated with what we fear but the darkness is not only about what we fear but that there are lessons of faith and life that can only be learned in the darkness. She said that people who only want the light are like solar Christians and so when terrible things happen, when doubt creeps in then they don't know how to function. It was a wonderful reminder that our God walks with us in all our days.

After she finished we sprinted across the site to get to the U2charist. It was wonderful. It was worship to U2 music. There was great music and powerful silence then we shared in the bread and wine. One body of Christ in all of our uniqueness. Beautiful worship.

Although my body is tired from lots and lots if walking and my brain is so full from hearing so much, it is a blessing to be here. I started yesterday writing down what I called Grace moments. There was the woman who found out that there was no toilet paper and she went and got some and started hand out pieces to all the women in the line. To her I say thanks. There is the Dad who tenderly lifted his sleeping daughter of his shoulders, laid her on the ground and wrapped her safe and sound. After 15 thousand people shared communion there was jot one piece of litter left on the grounds. Everyone had taken their own litter and picked it up. There are the 1500 volunteers who give their tome to help make this event happen each year. I spoke to one today who has been volunteering for 10 years. Wow. There is the wonderful group of people I walked home with last night. We talked, shared stories from the day,ate together at MacDonalds of all places, laughed so much, got a little lost but found our way home. Not to mention the girl on the bike who gave us directions and the fellow from Scotland who tried! God is indeed good all the time.

I wonder what lays ahead on day 4.