Pilgrimage to Montgomery and Selma

February 19th a group of St. Matthew’s pilgrims will embark on our third pilgrimage journey to Montgomery and Selma to collectively  and individually “do” the work of racial justice, healing, and reconciliation that is critical to our life in Christ .   We will visit the site where the Rev. Jonathan Daniels was murdered in 1965 shielding 17 year old Ruby Sales from a racist attack.  We’ll cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge, where civil rights workers marching for basic civil and voting rights were beaten and attacked (March 7, 1965) by local and state law enforcement and white vigilantes.   We’ll go to the Legacy Museum, documenting our nations history of enslavement and its lasting impact; and to the Lynching Memorial documenting the thousands of racial lynchings that have occurred post Reconstruction.

All of this “external work” is accompanied by “internal” work: reading, praying, journaling and gathering.  In many ways, for those of us traveling, this is our “invitation” to a Holy Lent.  It leads us on a journey to the cross, as disciples walking with our Lord.  It is intensely external- we see and learn about the history of our nation and especially about things we might not otherwise know.  It is also intensely internal, as we absorb and reflect on what we see and where we locate ourselves in this history and conversation.   We invite your prayers for as we travel and look forward to sharing with you after we return. 

As with every pilgrimage I’ve made through St. Matthew’s, there is anticipation, uncertainty, gratitude- at this opportunity to be in Christian community and together seek to grow deeper in our knowledge and love the reconciling Christ speaking now in our world today. Please pray for us as we make this journey to grow deeper into our knowledge, and our love, of the risen Christ.

Lisa+