The Wedding

It is this week's hottest world news.  Prince William and his bride-to-be Kate to wed at Westminster Abbey.   I jumped on the opportunity to bring my friends of extreme poverty into the gala world of the rich where they would have no prior perception. We were discussing at the weekly Bible study in Project Life the reaction of Peter at the transfiguration.  He had been thrown into a scenario quite foreign to his sphere of reality.  From his earthly perspective, this brief moment to witness the glory and majesty of Jesus left him without a focal point to draw a correct conclusion. Before they became judgmental over Peter's ineptness, I wanted to create a colorful canvass of astonishing aristocracy and place them in the midst of it to see how they would react.

Though they had never heard of Prince William or Kate Middleton, they chattered in their tribal language consulting among themselves how to describe a wedding that cost millions of dollars.  They were at a loss for words.  Their eyes danced and they giggled as they discussed and imagined the feast that would be served to all the guests. Finally, I told them they were invited. How would they present themselves to the royal couple? Their eyes looked down in embarrassment.  They said they would be ashamed.  They had no appropriate clothing and would feel very inferior. But, piped up one man, "I would give my little bit of rice -  everything I have -  in order to honor them at their wedding."  They all shook their heads in agreement.

I looked at my friends closely...their bodies attired with cast-a-way clothes, some even shoeless. Adorned with the dreaded AIDS virus - each day representing a fight for normalcy.  Houses that continue to fall apart in the rains with no money to repair them.   Their entire fortunes could not pay for one table of wedding guests.

Yet, their humble hearts to give it all away to honor the future king of England made me smile. Someday, along with Peter, they will be the ones honored at a real wedding celebration.

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I was delighted to find out that one of our activistas, Maria Verniz had an Easter surprise.  She came to our sunrise service (4am!) and instead of going home afterward she went to the hospital and gave birth to her son.  An Easter baby!  We all agreed that the baby's name should be tied to Easter. She asked me to come up with the name.  Anybody out there want to help me come up with an Easter name for a boy?