Day 6 - "If the Wizard is a Wizard who will serve..."

Currently as I write, I'm sitting in a Starbucks (yes, I'm giving into "the man") in Peachtree City, Georgia - home of the world famous Stephen Lenahan. I have heard for some years of the mysterious "city of the peach trees"and in all honesty I didn't believe such a place existed.

Allow me to explain.

Peachtree City is a golf cart town....yes, they ride golf carts. Everywhere. There are paths for the carts. (Is it carts or karts? I think "karts" is reserved for the "go" kind.) There are tunnels that go under the main roads. In fact, it's faster to get from my friend Michael's apartment to McDonalds via golf c(k)art than automobile...at least he says it is. It is a sprawling metropolis of a planned community. Boggles my mind. Consider me boggled.

Last night I stayed with Michael, his wife Crystal and their children Noah and Ruth. Totes presh. When I woke up this morning, Noah gave me $10. Okay, so it was fake money, but what a way to wake up, right? If only I could get paid to wake up in the morning....

Monday was filled with a lot of thoughts of the world. That sounds existential, I know. Stay with me. I left NOLA at 8:30, stopped in Pascagoula (yes that's a real place) and saw my sister Christie, my contemporary hero of social justice in action. She was randomly in town doing a fundraiser for Kenya. Yeah, small world. I trekked on to Montgomery, AL. (As a side note, Alabama is one of the most beautiful places I've ever driven through. Check it out if you have the opportunity. And...."trekked" looks wrong and reminds me of Star Trek.) In Montgomery, I parked at St. Joseph's Catholic Church downtown and walked for a bit.

You see, I love history, and the south is full of it. I remember being a junior in High School, and my US History teacher, Mr. Smith (real name, not an alias...as far as I know) got us all fired up for history. We had to make a music video to a civil rights song. My 3 girl friends and one guy, Suraag (again, real name, not an alias....he's from India) did "Respect" by Aretha Franklin - not so much civil rights, as equal respect for women and as an aside, it was funny to have Suraag dress up in a slinky dress. Anyway, the point is, I love history, stats, civil rights movement, etc.

Montgomery, AL is home to the Civil Rights Monument. See photo below.

It marks the dates of major movements in the 50s-70s. I felt so nostalgic and as if I was on holy ground. It's where Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus. MLK Jr led a march in Montgomery protesting the Jim Crow laws to petition free voter registration. Crazy things happened in this town and I was transported back in time to pay tribute to those who fought for freedom.

I felt very American on Monday, and proud to be. (Thank God for inspiring the First Amendment, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to write about the Faith.) Because of MLK Jr, I was able to grow up in the multicultural city of Houston, and was able to know my friend Suraag. I was able to be exposed to a world of cultures in the tiny microcosm of Houston. I'm free today because of people who fought for my freedom. We are all free because of Christ. He paid the highest price and we are asked to do likewise for our neighbor, which is what MLK Jr did. Service in love. Those who have are to give to those who do not. Jesus did it. MLK Jr did it. I should do it.

This Lent has been, for me, a lot about letting God love me and actually loving Him in a more authentic way. Appreciating Him. Giving Him my heart. That scares the hell out of me sometimes. But flashing back to the time of Rosa Parks and MLK Jr, I am reminded of the beauty of bold abandonment and total giving of yourself.

"So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free." - John 8:36

We are free to love. And not just love God and abandon ourselves to His Will, but we are free to love our neighbor and defend him at all costs....to lay down our lives for Love.

Freedom and Love go hand in hand. Serve those you meet with Love today.