Faith@First - July 19, 2024
I have been thinking a lot about belonging this week. Perhaps because I am preaching this Sunday as we continue our "Summer at the Movies" sermon series. We will be exploring the movie, West Side Story which speaks to the clashes of culture and accepting others who are different into our circles.
In preparing for this sermon, I watched the new version of West Side Story. The last song, near the end of the movie, is “Somewhere,” sometimes more commonly known as “Somewhere There’s a Place for Us.” Don’t we all wonder at times if “there is a place for us”? I have, especially as I was growing up, wondering if I would ever fit in.
I was a chubby child (a kinder word for being fat in those days) and a tomboy to boot! I was not a typical girlie girl. While the boys let me play and do things with them, I wasn’t really one of them. I found it hard to fit in throughout my childhood and youth. While it was not about the culture of race, it was about the culture of identity and not matching up to everyone’s expectations of me as a girl growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s. I often wondered if there would be a place for me.
I did not find a place for me until I went to college where I found a group of people from diverse backgrounds who were accepting of me. It was the first time in my life I felt there was a place for me, but that is not true for everyone. The story of West Side Story is as relevant today as it was when it burst onto the scene on Broadway in 1957. The issue of being welcomed whether because of our race, ethnicity, social status, and economic status, educational background or how we identify ourselves is still an issue.
I hope to see you Sunday as we look at the lessons the movie and our faith teach us as we maneuver through cultural wars.
Peace and Love,
Pastor Mary Eileen
