Me, Flo and Jim King, Karley, Eric, Trey and Graydon – we have been to the National ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit (July 15-19 2015).
When I heard for the first time that I was going to the National Youth Gathering, I was so excited. I couldn’t imagine how it was going to look like there, and what it would feel like. When I finally met the Kings for the first time, the couple that was supposed to take us into Detroit, I was even more excited than before.
The National ELCA Youth Gathering is a huge event, a gathering of the youth across the ELCA and USA. From Alaska to Florida to the Caribbean. It is every three years. This year it was in the city of Detroit, the city that was smashed by the financial crisis, maybe the worst in the US. The city lost its almost million citizens. But it is a beautiful city, full of kind and nice people.
When I was there, I realized that the church is much bigger than I thought. I knew that the God’s church is huge, but one cannot really realize it until he would experience it by himself at events like the Gathering, when there is 30 000 people gathered together for just one reason.
There were a lot of topics and thoughts, which were talking about one common thing: to Rise Up Together.
It is possible to stop hunger in the world. It is doible to stop hunger in the world.
If God’s people stay motionless and fearful in a silence, it is not destroying the world, but the God’s people. If we’d realize what God did for his people, we cannot stay silent. Neither can we ignore an evil or a violence in the world, neither can we ignore a hunger and an affliction. And in that, all we can be sure is that God alone is the one who goes first, who opens the doors, who took the stone from the Jesus’ tomb. The disciples have done nothing alone, their only job was to follow and to spread a good news about a hope.
And I think, that this was also the idea of the organizers of the Gathering – to invite the people, to challenge the youth to become a carrier of the God’s hope that Jesus gave us. For they can spread the hope everywhere – in their homes, schools, congregations and in the city of Detroit.
The city of Detroit was awed by a love that ELCA Youth showed. The core of our service wasn’t cleaning up or helping with the poorest ones. It was showing the hope, giving the hope. It was about showing that there are people who care, who work, and bring a change every day. We were working side by side with the people from non-profit organizations, with local gardeners, with congregations, with volunteers, who already rose up together for better Detroit.
I was amazed by the presiding bishop and her involvement.
The second big topic was breaking of the barriers between people of all races, genders and social groups. It was about stopping a homophobia and an anger, a fear, an inferiority, and a xenophobia. If there are any prejudices, we can rise up together for the change, and the hope.
Personally, it was great for me to realize that Jesus walks just before us, he walks before his people and changes things. Jesus is the best bridge builder between the people, communities and cultures.
The last thing we learned is that your story is part of God’s story, even your downs and ups. Everything is part of God’s story.
I am thankful for the opportunity to go into Detroit and experience the Gathering.
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