Diakonia, in Greek, means “service.”
Too, it is the name of a world-wide organization
of deaconesses, home missioners, home missionaries, deacons.
We met last week for our world assembly
at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia.
Around 300 people from 34 countries
gathered together to share stories, listen to speakers,
express concerns, get to know each other, learn, sing, pray
and tour ministries around Atlanta.
I come away with strong impressions:
there are people everywhere who care deeply,
sacrificially,
about the poor, the suffering, the unjustly treated;
working in community is essential;
people love their own cultures
(and are not trying to emulate that of the U.S.);
diversity is beautiful, enlightening, inspirational;
we can learn from each other;
we can get along.
As a United Methodist Deaconess,
I am fortunate enough to be part of this community
and to lead one of the workshops at the assembly.
People from several countries joined me in taking a walk,
the “cosmic walk,”
through the story of the creation of the universe
during these some 14 billion years.
And then we shared our insights from this experience.
Out of various cultures,
various denominations
our experiences of being in touch with God’s good creation
were universal:
here, there is care;
here, we must care.
