When we hear a story or listen to a joke,
we’re usually waiting for the point or the punch line, thinking, “This better
be good.” In the story about Jesus healing the ten lepers and the one who
returned, the punch line is here:
What are our attitudes toward marginalized people? Do we see them as the recipients of our charity and offerings? Do we have pity for “the least of these?” Do we pat ourselves on the back as we serve them?
Luke invites us to change our perspectives and to ask: “What are their strengths and gifts? How have they been blessed by God? What can I learn from them?”
When I was on my trip to the Mediterranean, one of the places we visited was Ephesus, Turkey. Next to the wonderful marble covered city of Ephesus, we visited what is thought to be Virgin Mary’s home after Jesus was crucified. As we approached this place our guide shared with us that many come to visit this place, not just Christians. We were told that this tiny home is a place where thousands visit to give homage to the mother of a God and to a mother of a profit, depending on their faith tradition. See in the Muslim faith, Jesus is seen as a profit and is highly revered.
So leading up to the place I thought we would see a large group of Christians and a few Muslims. As we approached I thought I was going to be correct as I overheard a Christian service being held in the terrace right next to the tiny home. As we walked up to the home, which has now been transformed into a chapel inside, we saw signs asking all to be silent when entering and there were shawls or pashminas available to cover your shoulders or head. When we entered we saw many Muslim women, and a few men, lining the floor of the small room praying with their knees and foreheads on the ground. This was a holy place. A place where people from many different walks of life were welcomed and allowed to worship their God, our God. I learned from this place that we don’t need to be in separate places to worship God, just because we have different beliefs. I also saw great devotion in those who were willing to pray on the floor as others walked through as if it was a museum. Their faith was more important than their worry of looking funny or different to another.
After tiptoeing through the Virgin Mary’s home, we took the path down one level in front of her house and saw thousands of pieces of paper and fabric had been tied to a wall with writing on them. Our guide told us this was a wish or prayer wall. As you can see on the front of the bulletin the people came from many places and spoke many different languages. As I walked past this wall, all I could think was “Lord, here our prayers.” It still brings tears to my eyes to think of the hope and faith that was shown in this place. This was a holy place. I kept thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew when he said “Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them.” I could feel God’s presence as I stood in awe of all these prayers.
Later we are going to invite you to come forward with your piece of fabric to tie to the Prayer Wall here at Highlands. We have placed markers in the pews for you to add your prayer to the fabric so we can create our own prayer wall and be reminder that God is present with us in this place too.
I shared this story with my youth when I returned and we decided we wanted to share some of our Holy Moments or Thin Places, as Dr. Dave calls them, with you from our times together. Jacob is going to tell us of a time he felt close to God and our youth on a Mission Trip and Katie is going to share her experience of searching for God at Montreat.
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