By Sister Phyllis Tierney, SSJ
October 5, 2014
We were warned ahead of time that we would have a long day
ahead of us on Sunday. We were in Raleigh and Greenville, and would arrive in
Asheville later in the evening. What we experienced was high energy, southern
hospitality, and the desire to make a difference. It permeated the two communities
we visited.
The day began with a potluck breakfast at Pullen Memorial
Baptist Church. We enjoyed good community and sharing time with members. Sister
Simone invited conversation around the “buzz questions” introduced by each of
us. Mine was “When did you first vote and whom did you vote for?” The highlight
of the morning was our community worship celebration. Reverend Nancy Petty
announced that it was World Communion Sunday. Pullen Baptist is an open
congregation where everyone is invited to the table.
Sister Simone was invited to share the message of NETWORK’s
Nuns on the Bus. Her favorite line is that there is room for all of us at the
table of democracy and our vote cannot be bought by big money. The message
resonates: we are all called to the table, we all deserve a share, and we all
deserve a vote!
Energy continued to run high in Greenville. The congregation
we visited was small, but the mood in the room was high-energy. Many of the
attendees were pastors of their own congregations! We gathered at Sycamore
Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with clergy, community members, activists and
two candidates for public office. People expressed their concerns about actions
taken by the North Carolina assembly to limit voting opportunities. Poverty and
lack of employment are also key issues. As in other stops, we were thanked
profusely for coming and giving rays of hope and support. If there was a key
word for the day, “hope” sums it up.
As one man said, “we defeat fear when we have hope.” One of
the gifts of this trip is all the seeds of hope we have seen and experienced.
