Called to Serve
Luke 22. 24-30
A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest...rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.
There is a trailer park down the mountain from here...park is a relative term. It is actually a collection of old rundown trailers on dirt lots which house Mexican immigrants and other folks who can't afford anywhere else to live. It is right in the flood plain of a creek which frequently overflows.
On a recent afternoon, a group of youth from St. John's Cathedral in Jacksonville went to help a faithful pilgrim named Lynn offer a camp for about 15 children. Boys and girls ages 6 - 14, with the most beautiful black silky hair and million dollar smiles started showing up about 3, and the youth from Jax played and laughed and taught and fed the children. The week before, the youth had helped Lynn prepare the space around the trailer by digging a compost heap, making a stone path around the lot and building a fence to mark off the property.
The day the children were there, a little boy named Marcos came up to one of the youth and said,
"Why are you here?" "I want to be here," the youth said "You chose to come here????" the confused child said. "Yes, I did," the youth said "You must have a sad life if you wanted to be here with us," the child decided. And the next day another boy asked the youth if he was being paid to be with them.
The children were astounded that strong happy young people would choose to come to be with them. It was terribly sad.
The youth will never forget this call to service, a call they answered bravely and happily.
We are reminded of our call to service every week in the post communion prayer which says...
And now, God, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
"and they will know we are Christians by our love."
Where are you called to serve this week?
If you are in the High Country of North Carolina and would like to know more about Creative Peacemakers, the program Lynn runs at the trailer park, please contact St. Mary's of the Hills in Blowing Rock or me!