Wonder Voyage 2009 Summer Blog

After a week of adventure, learning, praying, and fun our Christ Episcopal team says ‘goodbye’ to Washington, DC.  We have certainly had a week of challenge and opportunity.  For some it was merely the challenge of navigating the city by bus, train, and foot.  For some it was the heat. For some it was their own physical limitations. For some it was their own preconceived ideas. For some it was sharing space, and a bathroom. For some just the challenge of something totally new and different. This was a difficult trip for some…but in the end it was amazing.

It was amazing to hear the perspectives about tough things like the Holocaust Museum and the Vietnam Wall.  It was amazing to sit on the West Lawn of the Capitol and hear the Muppets, Barry Manilow, and Aretha Franklin sing.  It was amazing to see throngs of people on the the National Mall, and to watch fireworks bursting over the Washington Monument. It was amazing to watch a student choose the seat on the bus next to the smelly homeless man, and to stay there even when other seats were available. It was even more amazing when the same student recognized the man the next day.  It was amazing to watch the students care for one of their teammates who had taken ill, by tucking her in and making suure she had what she needed. It was amazing to receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion at the National Cathedral.  It was amazing to listen as the team members told each other how they light up each other’s lives. It was amazing to watch the team press on even when things were challenging…they never gave in…they never gave up.

As the team returns to Connecticut, we pray that they will continue to live out the lessons lived on pilgrimage…those lessons of love, compassion, community…those lessons about walking in the light.

Thus ends the Washington DC blog..

Today was an emotional and cleansing day for us. We saw what can happen if people do not allow the light of Christ to fill their hearts. We visited the Holocaust Museum, and while all of us had heard about the Holocaust & the events leading up to it, to see how it happened was numbing. We saw how through systematic manipulation a planned extermination wiped out nearly the entire Jewish race in Eastern Europe. What was especially chilling for me were the ghastly experiments conducted “in the name of science.”.The light at the end of the tunnel is that the Nazi regime was defeated; we must never forget.

Later we visited several of the national monuments, including the Vietnam War Memorial, commonly known as ‘the wall’. This was to be my cleansing. I am a veteran of the Vietnam War. The memories of that war and it’s aftermath when I returned home were deep. I found the name of a schoolmate. I did not find the names of two others; this was an answer to prayer. My friend and Christian brother, Will, and Katie, one of the students, began to count the lines to find the name of my friend, but it overwhelmed her, and Will had to finish the search. I thought the event was done, but when we got to the Lincoln Memorial, Will suggested that the group thank me for my service. There were lots of cleansing tears and group hugs. The journey to freedom and the light was complete.

We also met a Homeland Security agent named Chris who had served in Iraq. He and I thanked each other for our service; and he gave us many helpful hints for attending the jam-packed events of this Independence Day weekend.
All of the days events repeatedly showed that we must continue allow the light and love of Christ to shine in us and through us. We may not be able to change the world all at once, but we can allow God’s love to touch others through our smiles, kind words, and thoughtful actions.

A pilgrimage is a journey for the whole self. Each participant in the journey is destined to face challenges whether of the heart, mind, spirit, or the body. Our day today presented challenges of each type.

We experienced the challenge of living by the bus and train schedules as one missed bus led to one missed train which led to a one hour delay. We learned the physical challenge of visiting a city with many hills. We battled the heat and the threat of rain. We learned how individual choices affect the entire community.

In the end, we laughed, and joked, and ate pizza from a sidewalk stand. In the end, we committed to keep learning from the challenges of the journey.

Tomorrow will hold new challenges and surprises. We wonder what they will be!? May the Lord grant us the strength and courage to approach whatever comes with the hearts of pilgrims.

Our pilgrims from Christ Episcopal arrived today from Connecticut on Tuesday ready to begin the journey. Their delayed AMTRAK trip may be our constant reminder this week that the journey never goes exactly as planned. We never really know what may be around the next bend, and that part of the experience. We do not know what this week holds, but we have committed to making the journey together.

Our first stop was the Washington National Cathedral for a labyrinth exercise. We focused on Colossians 3 as we entered the path to seek the heart and will of God for our lives. Beautiful music on the harp and native American flute provided a contemplative atmosphere which inspired and focused us. For many, this was the first experience in the labyrinth, but all agreed that it was a powerful and moving time.

We are looking forward to a week full of wonder and surprise and challenge as we embark on the journey as individuals and as a community.