This afternoon I had the joy of witnessing a truly beautiful happening. There's a church service in the Park Blocks in Portland, every Sunday, where communion is offered to all who attend. It's their hope that the homeless will attend, and will feel free to attend this outdoor, free, open, spiritual connection.
This morning the Minister who led the short service, was engaged by a homeless woman, who was apparently suffering from mental illness. She wanted very much to be a part of the service, but was the kind of person we see now and then, who doesn't connect very well, though they certainly try. She tried, by constant talking and by trying to be a part of the service. We've all seen this before, but I was simply blown away by the way this Minister handled it. The woman was treated with utmost respect, was allowed and even encouraged to tell her story even when it made no sense to us. He asked her to come up to help him break bread for the communion. He blessed her with a gift of a cross, and I know he was connecting with her on a level very much higher than most of us experience.
I wish I had better words to describe this, but I don't. It was so very obvious to all of us, that this Minister acted directly from his heart, with love, with respect, with dignity. It made quite an impact on me.
I'm not a member of this church, I'm not a Christian, I'm Jewish/Buddhist & a little Hindu, but I hope I can go to this service in the park another time. No matter the type of religion, it's all about God, and this is a Minister who absolutely believes that.
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