At the end of my first blog post I wrote “My intentions and prayer for this journey ahead are: be present, actively listen, share wisdom, have fun, let the spirit guide me, follow the path of Jesus, and love God. Amen.” I am grateful for all the blessings, all the challenges, and all the ways God called me into my prayer this summer.
Throughout the whole summer I felt consistently present and grounded in the moment. It felt organic to have a sense of mindfulness at every camp I went to. It’s easy to focus on what’s right in front of you: the camper, the song, the workshop, the emotions, the God moments. I felt confident showing up as my authentic self, having an awareness of my breath, and absorbing the environment around me.
I had four workshops: non-violence, mental health, queer theology, and international human rights. My intentions of “active listening and sharing wisdom” were like 2 sides of the same coin. Every workshop I led was just an interactive conversation. I would ask an opening question, “What is Peace?” or “What is self-care to you?” or “What does the word Queer mean?” I would bubble map the campers’ responses onto the board and then develop the conversation from there with follow up questions. I would guide the thought process by introducing a piece of scripture, and offering a piece of artistic or academic evidence. Then the questions would get deeper, “What do systems of justice look like in our society?” or “How can we design equitable mental health care?” or “What should international human rights law look like in an ideal world?” I would adapt each workshop as they were happening in order to stay aligned with time restraints, group engagement, and camp culture. It was a process of listening to their variety of ideas, nurturing their critical thinking with curiosity and relevant pieces of evidence, and trying to help shape their understanding of peacebuilding.
I prayed for the spirit to guide me. This is what I pray for in all of my conversations with the Divine. Even when I don't say it out loud, that's what I’m always silently asking for, and the Holy One knows how much I seek Her Holy Spirit. As has been a tradition for many past Peace Interns, I got a tattoo at closing retreat to commemorate this summer. I got a dove holding an olive branch on my inner wrist. That way when I look down when I pray, or when I raise my hands during worship, I’ll be reminded of peacebuilding and that the Spirit always guides me.
This summer I was able to follow the path of Jesus by spreading his gospel. A piece of scripture I deeply identified with and utilized in my workshops all summer long was Matthew 11:28-30. It reminded me to take care of myself and let God relieve some of my load. I would introduce this scripture during my mental health workshop by saying “Imagine you’re having a hard day or struggling with your mental health, this is what Jesus would say to you, and we can use this as a guide to what we should say to our neighbors.” Jesus reminds us in this scripture to rest our bodies, and support one another.
My love for God grew this summer. I could make an argument for how it expanded every single day at camp. Although, one memory in particular comes to mind. I was at the waterfront at Camp Gwinwood in Lacey, Washington. I got a canoe all to myself and started rowing to the middle of the calm waters. It was 85 degrees, I had a bottle of iced water, I could smell the sunscreen on my face, I could see the light coming in through the tall trees and an eagle flew over my head, all as I was floating in the middle of this lake. I looked around in awe. I felt complete gratitude for that moment. That moment when I could feel God’s love and grace surround me. I felt whole.
God of Love, thank you for this summer. Thank you for shining your light to me through the people I met and the nature I witnessed. I pray I continue to be in Your presence, that Jesus walks alongside me, and your Spirit guides me. Amen.
