Wayfaring Stranger

Pastor in rural Georgia was visiting a hospital.

A parishioner had just given birth to a child.

He found the young father looking through the glass at his baby.

Baby was making all sorts of racket.

It’s OK – it cleans out her lungs, gets her voice going.

Oh, she’s mad as . . .  saw collar . . . sorry father.

OK – but why is she mad?

Wouldn’t you be mad – one minute you are with God in heaven and the next minute you are in Georgia.

You believe she was with God before she came here?    Yes Father.

Will she remember?

Well, that’s up to her mother and me.  And the church. We’ve got to see she remembers, because if she forgets, she is a goner.

Remarkable understanding of the human person. We come from God and one day we will return to God.

Recently saw movie 1917 – unusual movie making – seems to be one continuous shot. You feel like you are there – experiencing what is happening with the two characters.

But to be inserted into WWI – terrible, awful. One of the worst wars of all: trenches, disease, rats, hopelessness of it all on top of mass killings.

Worst of all, almost all involved were baptized: English, French, Canadian, American, Russian, German and Austrians. The scale was inhuman: 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam – that was a weekend in WWI – estimated 40 million casualties – up to 20 million dead soldiers & civilians.

Human being descended to the level of animals – in the heart of Christian Europe – all supposedly taught about Jesus Christ – and what it means to be a human being.

It is clear that something terrible happened in WWI – teachings of Christ meant so little to so many – led to the moral collapse of society – which continues in our time.

Friday 44 Buses from ADNY, including St. Columba – will travel to DC for the March for Life – largest annual human rights march in the world.

Seems shocking that we must have a March for Life – isn’t it obvious that life is sacred? Human life is to be treasured – it is not a mistake, not a burden?

A purpose – a meaning – a reason to live – and hope at the end:

Toward end of movie – beautiful American spiritual - Wayfaring Stranger

I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world below
There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go

I'm going there to see my Father
And all my loved ones who've gone on
I'm just going over Jordan
I'm just going over home

I know dark clouds will gather 'round me
I know my way is hard and steep
But beauteous fields arise before me
Where God's redeemed, their vigils keep
I'm going there to see my Mother
She said she'd meet me when I come

So, I'm just going over Jordan
I'm just going over home