BLOG09 6JAN2011
On Thursday January 6, 2011,
at 10 PM, Curtis Wait Blogged:
The three kings have
arrived!
The Mexican children have received their gifts and had their
fiesta.
Today Ellen preached at the celebration eucharist and then it was off
to art class for the teens with Ellen and a party with cake and hot
chocolate for the little kids. Below is Ellen's sermon:
My name is Ellen O’Grady. I am
an
artist. For seven years I lived and worked in Bethlehem in a
neighborhood similar to La Laguna. Often I would pass
by the Church
of the Nativity, which is located at the place Jesus was born and where
the wise men travelled to bring their gifts.
This time of year in Bethlehem is
cold and rainy, occasionally it snows. It is the worst time of
year
for a journey. I imagine the three kings were very uncomfortable
travelling the far distance. I imagine the inns were full and
because
they lacked shelter, the kings travelled all through the night, dozing
occasionally on their camels. I imagine the kings and the
people
travelling with them often got frustrated, even despairing. I imagine
they heard voices in their head, saying the journey was a mistake.
But they kept going. And
going.
And finally they came to the manger. And when they got off their
camels and came closer to see baby Jesus, all the agony of their
trip
slipped away. And the world would never be the same.
Any worthwhile journey brings with it
fears and doubts, AND moments of human connection and creation which
could not happen without the journey. Whether it is a journey
that
involves travelling a far distance, like Goldi coming to Veracruz from
Ecuador to start Amiguitos; or a journey that involves
doing
something completely new, like Omar taking culinary
classes.
On every significant journey I’ve
been on there have been voices in my head telling me that I might be
making a mistake. It was true during the years that I
worked in
Bethlehem. And it is true of my short time in Veracruz. Moments
when
the voices in my head said, that I might be making a mistake; you do
not speak the language, you are not going to be able to connect with
people without speaking Spanish.
But then came the moments when all
those doubts slipped away. For example when I was sitting
drawing a
person here in Veracruz. It does not matter that we speak
different
languages, when I sit to draw you, any one of you, the light of God
shines through and it does not matter that I am in Mexico because in
that moment, I am home in the presence of God, in the presence of
love. Or a moment like yesterday, when the chamacos
were drawing
their portraits of themselves. Every one of them was bent over
their
canvases with great focus. It did not matter that we come from
different cultures, this creation is of God. Creativity binds us
together, it creates a holy space.
You are a very creative people.
The
way you build your homes, the way you respond to the destruction of a
hurricane. Ana’s hats. Melanie’s sandals. The bread
we’re going to
eat at Eucharist and at the 3 kings celebration. Bread made by
the
children’s hands. The building you are building for your center,
which
you are creating with YOUR hands. As the three kings
rejoiced when
seeing God’s creation after their long journey; I rejoice here, with
you, in the midst of all of your creativity. I rejoice in
all of
God’s creation through your hands, your hearts, your voices and
your
minds. I rejoice in you. Gracias.
