Like most days in Washington, it was hot and humid. Built near the important port city of Georgetown, D.C. was not built on a swamp but was chosen for its access to the Potomac which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Because the National Mall was prone to flooding in the 1800s, the Reflecting Pool was created with discreet levees.
Many in the city including the Federal Government, not sure of what to expect, closed down for the day. Many churches, on the other hand, began preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cold drinks for the thousands they expected for the March. We didn’t use water bottles at that time; we had cold water and Kool-Aid in containers.
If you look at the photos from that day, you’ll notice many women wearing hats as if they were going to church. More than just a demonstration; it was a religious experience, a day calling for change, a day calling for justice, a day of hope. Much has changed since that day, but for those of us there, we can never forget it. And we still have hope.
Prayer for the Day
Preoccupied with the world around us today, we lose sight of you,
And we fall into traps of despair and hopelessness;
Fearful even of the future because we are bound to the past,
We are hesitant to believe in the possibilities open around us.
Break into our lives and broaden our vision,
So we are able to share your promise of a new world with others.
In the name of the One who gives us hope and courage,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
- Martin Luther King (1929-1968)
This land is your land, and this land is my land/From California to the New York island From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
- Woody Guthrie, songwriter (1912-1967)
I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assembles.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Take away from me the noise of our songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5: 22-24