Dear Friends,
On August 1, 1999, ten of us gathered at Independence Mall for our weekly prayer vigil for peace in the world. Among us were two Friends from New Jersey and two Friends from Kenya who had just completed the Alternatives to Violence workshop held at Gwynedd Meeting.
The temperature was in the mid-nineties. During moments when the vigil presents a physical challenge, I (Marcelle) often think of those who have endured far greater physical pain, sometimes willingly, for a good purpose, and sometimes by force, such as refugees from Kosovo and those in Nazi concentration camps. I have gained more appreciation for the willingness of many throughout history to accept suffering while serving God and their fellows.
Sunday I found myself remembering with some nostalgia the chilly weather and rain that came during our first two vigils in April. I looked at the green trees on Independence Mall and thought of street trees in my North Philadelphia neighborhood that are struggling with the drought, their leaves brown and falling. Young trees and newly transplanted ones need to be watered frequently because of their shallow roots. In contrast, older trees have well-developed roots systems and can draw upon water sources deep in the earth, remaining green even in dry, hot weather. As I prayed that afternoon, I realized that participating in the vigils has helped me to sink my own roots deeper into the soil of the Spirit to tap into the source of Eternal Waters.
On Thursday, August 5th, from noon until one PM, a liturgy of remembrance will be held in front of the Liberty Bell at 5th and Market to commemorate the more than one million Iraqi people, more than half of them children, who have been dying at the rate of 5,000 a month because of sanctions against Iraq imposed by the US since 1990. Those who want to witness against these sanctions are urged to attend. After the liturgy, a small group of people plan to participate in an action designed to draw more attention to this situation. They will place "tombstones" showing the pictures of Iraqi children on Federal property behind the Liberty Bell, an action that may result in the arrests of those particular individuals. If you are interested in more information about the liturgy or the civil disobedience afterward, please contact the House of Grace (a Catholic Worker House in Kensington). Phone: 215-426-0364. Johanna Berrigan, part of that community, has participated in two delegations that violated US law to bring needed medicine and supplies to hospitals in Iraq.
Several people have responded to report #16 to ask what happened to the young man who was stranded in Philadelphia. His name was Jim and he came home with us (Jorge and Marcelle) after the vigil. He was our guest for two nights. He said he needed $90 for his bus ticket home to Denver and that he was eager to do some work to earn the money. Jorge made inquiries. Not finding any work opportunities, Jorge assured Jim that we would provide enough money for him to get home, even without work. Marcelle, who wanted to encourage his willingness to work in return for financial help, revealed a project she had long been contemplating: painting the kitchen. After a good night's sleep, Marcelle and Jim worked from morning until evening the next day, painting the kitchen together. The results were bright, clean and satisfying, although not of professional quality.
During his visit, Jim, eighteen years old, told us that had been fending for himself since age fifteen, trying to continue in school and work at the same time. Last summer he'd had a lucrative painting job in New York and had traveled back there this summer because of the promise of another job, which fell through. As we were eating dinner in the bright, newly painted kitchen, Jim revealed his plan to go back to New York City with the money we had said we would give him, to try to start a new life there. That had been his original intention, he explained. He told us about a hotel in Chinatown where he could stay in a tiny room for only $12 a night, and he seemed confident that he could find work in the city. He wondered if he could earn some more money before he left.
Kathryn and Kaki live near us in another North Philadelphia neighborhood, where they reach out to their neighbors, especially children, in many ways, including sharing their home for nineteen months with a teenage mother and her baby triplets. Hearing of Jim's desire to earn some extra money, they offered him some work. The next morning Jim worked a few hours at Kaki and Kathryn's, then took SEPTA and New Jersey Transit to New York City. We gave Jim our phone number and assured him of our concern and prayers for him, explaining that there was an inner source of guidance always available to him.
We spent the rest of the week at the residential session of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting near Allentown, PA. When we returned, Jim called collect asking for more money. Apparently, he had made many calls previously. Marcelle and Jorge offered him the option to return to receive further hospitality or to receive some limited amount of money. He chose to stay in New York, and we sent him some money by Western Union. We also gave him the phone numbers and addresses of the two Catholic Worker Houses in Manhattan and urged him to seek help from them, assuring him that even if they could not provide hospitality to him, they would be able to direct him to helpful resources in the city. He refused to call them or investigate how they might help him. "I don't want to go to a mission!" he said. Later on, we found out that he had also been calling Kaki and Kathryn and that they had sent him some money, too. Over the course of our conversations we discovered inconsistencies and a way of using our help that was, in our opinion, less than thoughtful. We confronted him with this and declined to send him more money, although we continued to accept some calls in order to provide support and guidance to him. Because of Jorge's trip to Ecuador we have told him that we would not be able to host him at this point.
We have been thinking about Jim and praying for him and struggling to be clear about how best to help him. He's a person with a gentle side and charm, in spite of his impatience and easy frustration. His personality has some evident strengths, and Jorge and I found much to appreciate in him. But, like so many of his contemporaries, his roots are very shallow. We can imagine the vigorous green tree he might become — given the right soil to grow in and ample watering; he needs a community to nurture and appreciate him, to guide him and hold him accountable, to help him develop his innate appreciation for the spiritual dimension of life.
Recently he has called again, this time from Cincinnati. He said he had been offered a landscaping job in Florida by a friend there for whom he had worked before. Yesterday, while hitchhiking, a truck driver had picked him up. This man and his family offered Jim hospitality for a night and paid for his bus ticket to Florida in exchange for some gardening and other chores. Jim said he intended to pay back the money we had wired him and asked us to wire more to buy food. There is a huge surcharge for wiring money, and after receiving our telephone bill yesterday for all the collect calls we have accepted, I (Marcelle) was reluctant to wire him more money. I urged him to ask for food from people in Cincinnati. In the meantime, I continue to pray for Jim and for guidance about whether or not to send him any more money.
Many of us who participate in the prayer vigils for peace feel a sense of community. Jorge and I are also aware of the special and graced community that exists among those who receive these emails and who pray and work for peace in their own towns, neighborhoods, monthly meetings, and daily lives. May your roots be watered bountifully by God's peace and love.
Construction has begun at our regular site on Independence Mall, so next Sunday and into the future we will be holding our vigil on the Liberty Bell side of Market Street, between 5th and 6th.
For more information about the vigils, contact Marcelle and Jorge at Cityquake@aol.com.
Love,
Marcelle and Jorge
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE
Independence Mall Vigil for PeacePlease join us at our weekly prayer vigils for peace in the world, held in front of the Liberty Bell on Market St. between 5th and 6th, every Sunday from 4 to 5 PM. For more information, contact cityquake@aol.com.
In our reports, participants share their experiences of the prayer vigils and explore beliefs related to their participation. Reports reflect the experience of each author and do not necessarily represent the beliefs or practice of all vigil participants. We welcome your responses, which are forwarded to the individual authors (when possible). We sometimes include part of a response in a future report, unless you ask us not to.
It is meaningful to us that you share in the vigils by reading these reports and in other ways, such as joining us in prayer.
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM