For there shall be a sowing of peace; the
vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall
give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people
to possess all these things.
Zechariah
8:12
As a Disaster
Response Spiritual Partner with Lutheran Disaster Response- Eastern PA, I was
blessed to be part of a group of folks sent to Philadelphia to participate in
that role during the visit of Pope Francis in September 2015. As I read this
passage from the prophet Zechariah, I was astounded at how the words of the
prophet reflect what I experienced during that visit.
Even though we
live in an uncertain and frightening world, the mere presence of the Pope in the
City of Brotherly Love gave the thousands in attendance an opportunity to experience
the sowing of genuine peace that is gifted to us by God through this man of God.
The City of
Philadelphia was transformed! We all received the fruit of this blessing as
barriers were broken down in this mass of humanity. No heed was paid to race,
denomination, creed or socio-economic status. As we shared the peace with one
another in the midst of the public mass, as we hugged or knelt in prayer or offered
spiritual care to those around us, we could sense God’s heavenly dew resting
upon us through moments of unimaginable quietness.
It was an
experience I will never forget and it was a moment in time when God’s people were
able to “possess all of these things.”
God of Peace, God of unwavering and unconditional
love, let your heavenly dew continue to rest upon us in those surprising places
so that we may be a blessing to each other and share your love for all of humanity.
Amen.
Kathie
Afflerbach is a Disaster Spiritual Partner with Lutheran Congregational
Services.
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