Peace At The Monastery

 

 

 

Remember I told you that I was making kitchen towels as a wedding present?  I went to the Monastery on Saturday morning with my bag of crochet work and finished them under these trees!  There had been a 5k run early that morning and they were announcing the winners over in front of the Monastery Gift Shop...it was pleasant to sit there and crochet as I heard the muffled sound of the runners and the applause that greeted the names.  The birds were singing and even though the sun promised to get hot for the day, there was a cool breeze blowing and the shade was...well, heavenly!
I also had some other crochet pieces that I had made in the bag, and I took them out to let the sun shine upon them.  Am I too fanciful to think that the blessed peacefulness of the place could be transferred onto these handmade things?  It is my hope anyway. 

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There is a story in the news this week of a woman who claimed to be African American and was the president of a NAACP chapter.
She has now resigned after her parents came forward with the news that she was their daughter (her parents are white.)  I know that everything reminds me of a book or a movie but I have to tell you about a book called "Black Like Me".  It is a true story of a journalist, a white man, who chemically altered his skin so as to "pass" as a black man.  Why would he do this?  His name was John Howard Griffin and he traveled on Greyhound buses in the South for six weeks in the early 1960's because he wanted to see how the world treated a man of color.  Can you believe it, he actually came to Conyers, Georgia!  One of the best stories was at the bus stop in Conyers...you will have to read the book! The way he described the subtle racism is very memorable.  John Howard Griffin even stayed overnight at the Monastery.  He described it perfectly...that all the worries of the world just melted away as he went slowly up the driveway with the large magnolia trees lining the way.  After all that he had experienced, he was warmly welcomed by the monks.  It seems a shame that all the kids watching the news just now will see this woman who gave "misinformation" about her race and none of them will know of John Howard Griffin and his efforts to "walk in another man's shoes".   

(NOTE: Since I wrote this post, I found another post that I found very interesting.  You may find it here.)



Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.