...Jesus departed from there and came to his native place...” Mark 6:1
There is much in my mind and my heart as I sit to write for you today. The opening verse of this week-end’s Gospel reading above is perfectly aligned with what is happening all around me this week here at the parish campus. Our young people and their adult companions are focusing their time and energy here at St. Peter’s, rather than “on the road” on a more conventional mission trip experience. Circumstances being what they are and have been, such a road trip was not possible. I thank everyone involved in the planning of this truly “home mission” which includes weeding and trimming, scraping and painting, mulch and water balloons! The sound and spirit of laughter in the midst of acts of service and kindness is also a welcome hallmark of this spirit of mission.
In the passage from Mark in this weekend’s Gospel, we hear of the sad, stony hearts with which the local folk ridiculed and rejected Jesus. It’s true... the home crowd can be tough! And in the face of the experience that can toughen older folks’ ability to appreciate and welcome, the younger crowd might feel the air going out of their exuberance like water leaking out of their water balloons. Not so here! The witness of faith in service knows no bounds here... neither by age nor experience!
This also is a wonderful day of convergence of reasons to celebrate, as we observe the 4th of July. Our nation is strongest not necessarily when everything seems to be going “right,” but also in the teeth of what might be going “wrong.” It’s not just that we know how to survive or even that we are able to “conquer,” but rather that we have the ability, as a nation to discover what IS right or wrong. We also know that to discover is only in part about books or systems analyses...
mostly it’s about people.
Happy Fourth!!!