Reflections on Yesterday

At 10:00am we made our way onto Notre Dame campus, escorted by a gay student and trailed by campus police. We interacted with a few students outside the Basilica before going inside for Mass. Jennifer and Landon joined me and it was amazing to worship with them. Looking around at the ornate decorations and observing the millenia old tradition, all of my old qualms with Catholicism swelled up inside of me. But as I observed the late attendees enter and kneel before making their way across the row or worshipers lift their hands in prayer, I realized that there was a deep faith working here too. No religion is perfect--mine an Catholicism both included--but God is. And where his followers come together to celebrate the Divine, there it is too.

Emil and I got lunch with Jennifer and Landon before listening to two Notre Dame students speaking about their experience being gay and lesbian at the school. Kelsey and Deflin shared their own stories about growing up Catholic and the pain of being excluded from the church.

The riders milled about afterwards for awhile. I gave Jennifer and Landon information about the off-campus event we were holding later in the day. I also gave a student the same information. Emil gave his friend some more information. For that act, we were given official notices of trespassing and asked to leave the campus.

As I walked away I felt a little uneasy. Should we have not handed anything out (even when asked) and stayed on campus to stay. I wasn't sure. That evening, the Notre Dame student came to our function at the Zion United Church of Christ. Any doubt I had earlier was immediately vanquished. He also met up with us at the local cafe for lunch. And brought a friend to the film screening this afternoon.

It was worth it.