Lutheran Church of Mahomet, The Invitation 2018 Ordinary Time | Page 6

ing. From the Mass Gatherings
stage, we heard stories of adver-
sity, faith, and vulnerability. The
speakers shared with us stories
that sometimes hit close to home
and sometimes were wholly
un-relatable; but, in all of their
voices we heard about God’s
devotion to us and to resurrect-
ing beauty out of hardship and
violence. Our own group visited
with an organization called
United Against Human Traffick-
ing, which is dedicated to
rescuing our sisters and
brothers around the world from
forced sex and labor. We learned
that over 40 million people
around the world are currently
imprisoned in such situations.
That knowledge is altering.
It seemed that each day, our own
understanding of the world
became wider and more real. As
we learned about the hardships
of the world, and of the various
and powerful ministries of the
ELCA, our personal perspectives
widened.
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