Thoughts from the Covered Dish Supper

 

 

A Blessing for the Annual Covered Dish Supper

by The Rev. Sierra Wilkinson Reyes, Board Member

 

 

Give thanks for the freedom to be.
The freedom to be who God needs for you to be in this world.
Freedom to break down the walls that separate people from people.
Freedom from walls of separation, segregation, isolation and intimidation.

 

Freedom to be just yourself without fear of drowning in the deep sea of “not enoughs.”
Not good enough. Not Smart enough. Not Articulate enough. Not Nice enough.
But God, we’ve had enough of “not enoughs.”

 

And so tonight, we choose freedom.
We choose to be free from loneliness and free for relationships.
To be free from anxiety and free for activity.
To be free from defeat and free for celebration.
Yet freedom takes courage.
It takes courage to leave the safety of your house – the safety of your bed,
and enter into a whole lotta unknown.
It takes courage to transform a table of strangers – Into a group of citizens with common unity.
It takes courage to attempt to dismantle centuries of injustices and inequalities,
with a simple “Hello. I’m glad you are here.”

 

We are here to eat, yes.
But we are also here to liberate. To unify.
To love. To integrate. To break loose. To educate. To reconcile.
To just be.

 

And so loving God, we bless not only this meal but also this entire night,
that your freedom, courage, and love may work in us, may work through us,
and yes at times, may work even in spite of us.

 

Amen.