When I turned sixteen, my brother had just turned eighteen. My parents decided to throw us a joint birthday party- a surprise for me. We had a movie playing in the backyard, lots of snacks and cake. The way my friends ‘kidnapped’ me, blindfolded me until we were in my backyard. It’s a day I’ll always remember.
When I was in seminary, I caught the running bug. Richmond, VA is the perfect place for races & I was able to participate in most of them. In November of 2015, I ran my first (& only) half-marathon. To prepare, I was getting up every Saturday for my long runs that began at 7AM. There was a lot of strength training and chafing. The finish line was ahead of me and the course started a downhill slope. That’s when you know you’re almost done. Tears are in my eyes as I cross the finish line- slow as a turtle, but an accomplishment, nonetheless. I had just run 13.1 miles without stopping. It’s a day I’ll always remember.
I had graduated from seminary and was packing to move back to South Carolina when my Grandaddy got sick. He was in Charlottesville right off Park Street- it was 57 minutes from my door to his. I was finishing my last day of work - packing up my office. The plan was to drive straight to Charlottesville since Grandaddy had been placed in a hospice house a few days before. Right before I left, I got the call that he had died. While I’m so sad I wasn’t there, he was surrounded by some of his closest friends & I think that’s a pretty good way to go. He died on a Friday. We buried him on a Monday. It’s a day I’ll always remember.
November 1 will be a day many of us will always remember. The government has been shut down for almost a month & SNAP benefits will not hit the recipients’ accounts at the beginning of the month. Many will depend solely on food banks & community assistance.
A few weeks ago, the scripture I preached on was from Acts: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds[a] to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home[b] and ate their food with glad and generous[c] hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2: 44-47 [NRSVUE]).
This is happening immediately following the Pentecost experience. Everyone in the community came together - ensuring that everyone had what they needed. They spent time together, they ate together, they shared life together. Acts is known as a peek into the early church. In my opinion, this was it.
In the days ahead, the Church has an opportunity to stand in the gap for so many in our community. While help & support will look like many different things, we must prioritize our hungry friends. As EBF discerns what our support will look like, I encourage you to look at these local resources: