Have you ever been proud of a place, an institution, a person?  When I visited the site of 9/11 many years ago, with heaps of dust and rubble everywhere and a stench that made it hard to breathe and overwhelmed the place, I saw a battered firetruck with a flat tire, unable to move. On its back there was a bumper sticker that said: Proud to be an American.  This was not our finest hour as our twin towers had crumbled and thousands of lives been lost. America was reeling with fear and sorrow and grief, but that did not keep the people of New York City, the first responders, and the fire fighters from trying to save lives and later trying to find remains of those who died. Trinity Church was full of dust and people sleeping on its pews; McDonald’s opened a stand giving away food and water as men and women sifted through the rubble. I was proud of the heroism of people who acted selflessly.

It’s not quite the same thing but today, as I looked at the list of those who have given to help the people of Gaza, I was proud of our church and the compassion that came forth through people’s generosity and thoughtfulness.  I was also proud to see that we started another drive to help a family get out of harm’s way in Gaza. I was also proud to see that we have written several checks now to the food pantry in Harrison and the one in Mamaroneck as well as the Lutheran hospital Augusta Victoria on the mount of Olives in Jerusalem. I could go on about the help we have given to help resettle refugees from Afghanistan as well as the money we raised for LWR to help build container homes for homeless families in Turkey after the earthquake. Last year we also sent a check to a Lutheran church in Cambridge, Mass. to help rebuild it after a devastating fire on Easter Sunday night.

We are a small corner of the universe but I happen to believe with my whole heart that we are making a difference every day to the life of someone else, whether it’s in a place like Gaza or whether it’s in our own community.

Thank you all! I am proud to be the pastor of this church.