The following meditation, written by the Rev. Tommy Dillon, chaplain to the Diocese of California Altar Guild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was given to us with the promise that we would ask you to become more aware of two things:
1—Many dioceses now encourage churches to develop their own disaster preparedness programs and share them in their communities. To learn how to prepare your own Disaster Communion Kit, watch our video on www.nationalaltarguildassociation.org.
2-—Support the work of Episcopal Relief and Development following disasters such as Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, and typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. It is possible to raise money for ERD through simple things such as bake sales and car washes—great for youth groups wishing to make a difference. See https://www.episcopalrelief.org/what-you-can-do/act/great-ideas-to-help-make-a-difference/get-creative-with-gifts-for-life for more ideas and stories.
A Meditation
The Rev. T. J. Dillon II
All around us, people were saying, “We want to see Jesus!” John 12:21
One week after Hurricane Katrina I was walking through the downtown River Center offering pastoral care to a family who was in a shelter that housed over 5,000 of the evacuees from New Orleans. A woman, after seeing me in my clericals, approached me and asked, “Father, can you bring us communion?” My initial response was “Yes, but you probably think I am a Roman Catholic priest.” “Yes,” she said, “but in times like this there is no time for us to worry about our theological differences. We are hungry for the Bread of Heaven!” We celebrated the Eucharist right next to her sleeping cot and dozens of people lined up to receive communion.
When you get pushed up against life’s wall, it doesn’t much matter whether you eat meat on Friday, can recite the Apostles Creed, or worry about the theological differences around Holy Communion. When the world caves in on you and denominational barriers fall apart, people simply “want to see Jesus.” It no longer matters whether you are Protestant or Catholic, Christian or Jew, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran or Episcopalian.
“We want to see Jesus!” they said. And I invite you today to come and see Jesus. Bring your struggles, wounds, doubts, and hopes with you. Come and see Jesus.