From the Desk of Deacon Judy
Wanderings
On my contemplative walk this morning, I stopped to watch the fish (mostly bream) and the turtles wandering in the lake. It was a lovely, peaceable kingdom of different species co-existing in the same environment. At feeding time, their activity is a bit more robust, but rather than attack each other, they reach higher than themselves to receive the gift offered.
Last weekend I was in Washington, DC for our AFEDJ (American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem) Board meetings. During my few moments of free time, I chose to wander.
I was reminded how lovely the neighborhoods near the National Mall are with tree-lined streets and visitors from all over the world.
With no particular plan, I stumbled upon the Oman Cultural Center and learned about that small, peaceful country on the Arabian peninsula.
I visited the Chinese-American cultural museum and was reminded of the contributions that Chinese Americans have made to the United States and of the discrimination that they have faced. In the Bruce Lee exhibit, his quote caught my eye: “Under the sky, under the heavens, there is but one family.”
On the National Mall, I strolled through the World War II monument and revisited the Korean War monument and the Wall – the striking remembrance of the lives lost during the Viet Nam War. The reflecting pool conjured up memories of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
I met a woman reporter from Morocco who said she wanted to hear the voices of Americans and of all visitors in this current time of chaos and conflict. She affirmed that the United States is the beacon of freedom and hope for all persons in the world, a model for all to follow. She believed that we all share a common humanity with a desire for peace just to live our daily lives.
My wanderings allowed me to be open to new perspectives, different backgrounds and stories, yet each providing a glimpse of our common humanity, each showing me the face of God in a new way.
Last year our AFEDJ Board visited the Arab Episcopal School in Jordan, an inclusive school where blind students participate actively. A sign in one of the classrooms said “We may all be different, but in this school, we swim together.”
May our wanderings guide us to new discoveries and ancient truths, that we are one family, the human family, and that with God’s help, even with our differences, we can all swim together.
May God’s peace be with us all, Judy Q+
