You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.” Paula D’Arcy, noted author and retreat leader, puts it another way. She says, “God comes to us disguised as our life.” In today’s Gospel account, Simon of Cyrene is “recruited” by a Roman soldier to stop what he is doing and carry Jesus’ cross. As Adam Hamilton points out, Simon had come to town for Passover, probably had a long list of things to get done before sundown, and most likely did not appreciate having an unexpected cog shoved into his wheel of productivity.
This past fall I had a sort of Roman soldier knock me off my treadmill of busyness. This soldier took the form of a staff field trip to the North Texas Food Bank. It was an interruption, yes, but it turned out to be one of the most informative and enlightening experiences I've had a long time. As a matter of fact, that day we learned about just how many children in our community live with the stress of knowing that they might not have food to eat when they go home for the weekend without a “backpack” of snack food provided on Fridays by the North Texas Food Bank. We made as many backpacks as we could possibly make that day, and afterward I had no doubt that the Music and Arts’ Gospel at the Crossroads project must focus on raising $20,000 to feed hungry children in our community. Today, I’m happy to report that the project has already raised $8000 thanks to the generous donations from the Goodrich Gallery, The Rotunda Board, Variations Youth Choir and the Chancel Choir. The project will culminate with our Gospel at the Crossroads Concert on Sunday, April 22, at 7:00 PM. Everyone is invited to come hear some of your favorite spirituals and gospel music and to bring your $20 to help raise $20K to make a real difference in the lives of children in our community
Simon didn’t change the course of events that were to come, but he lightened the load of another and it very likely changed his life forever. Like Simon, we won’t cure hunger, but by giving of ourselves and our resources to lighten the load of another, it will likely change us.
