Dear saints,
This past week my family and I got up bright and early and drove to Montgomery to visit the Legacy Museum and Memorial there. The museum tells the story of slavery with care and thoughtfulness. We wanted our children to get a sense of the historical context of the celebrations we had just had at church the weekend before. Walking through there with us was a school group of black and white children, and I couldn't but think of how each of them saw what I was seeing through their own particular eyes, and how different it all might have looked depending on their own places in the world. One of the first lessons you learn in pastoral ministry is to try to see the world through the eyes of the person you are seeking to care for. I think that is why Jesus told so many stories - he wanted empathy to be a pathway to justice. That is an invitation I would like you to hear these coming weeks. Perhaps you might consider joining a Sacred Ground dialogue circle, or join fellow Episcopalians from around our part of the diocese for a book study reading Dr. Catherine Meeks new book. Perhaps you might see this new year as a season for you to volunteer with one of our core ministries or with the Peoplestown Partnership. Or maybe you would like to consider an opportunity beyond All Saints'. They abound. Whatever path you choose, I pray that your chance to see the world through others' eyes is illuminating for you. All of us are needed. It takes a village to raise a better world.
