New York City Here We Come
by Lauren Woody
Getting ready for our pilgrimage to New York City this month has left me with mixed emotions. I am the kind of person who loves to plan things, so that is a really exciting part of the trip for me. I have gathered ideas from many different people on fun activities and ways to engage everyone in learning more about the Episcopal Church and how we interact with the world around us. I think we have come up with a list of wonderful things that will help us move into a closer relationship with God, while cherishing the community that will help us get there. I can’t wait to see how the people around me react to visiting with the Presiding Bishop, touring the first Episcopal Seminary, climbing the spire at a Cathedral, or seeing a Broadway play.
Among the participants going, more than half have never been to New York. I think being there when they see Times Square or the Statue of Liberty for the first time will be such a gift. I have not been back to New York since 9/11, so I will get to share in the awe and sadness of one of the greatest tragedies of modern times. I am a little nervous as to how I will react. We are taking a self guided audio tour that was put together by people meeting in Trinity Wall St. the day the towers fell. I have listened to it already and I cried when I heard the stories of crane workers, firemen, and family members of the deceased. I wonder where I will see God in the experience of being at this hallowed site.
I have had life changing experiences every time I have been on a trip like this and I expect this trip to be no different. I pray that I have the patience and the wisdom to be present, silent and still in a place so inundated with noise and hurry. I hope that I can open myself up to the presence of God and I can be present with the other people sharing this with me. I hope I can come home and incorporate the things I learn on this trip into my everyday life. I hope it will open my eyes to the wonderful things the Episcopal Church is doing to radically change the world around us. If only some of these hopes get realized it will be a successful pilgrimage. Wish us godspeed.
