Epiphany Stories of Sharing Our Light
Ghani Perera
When Ashley asked me to speak about my “epiphany story” a few weeks ago, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was the quote we often see on bumper stickers: “think globally, act locally”. This phrase has resounded with me and has evolved in meaning over the years, ever since I first came across it. Today, I’d like to reflect on what it means to “think globally, act locally,” and how it applies to my goals in the New Year and my place at Pilgrims.
During Advent in the past few weeks, I enjoyed hearing stories about dreams for a world made new – these were the big dreams – of global peace, of political progress and compassion for the human race. This time, with the “Epiphany Stories” the focus is on the individual, and ways in which our “light will shine through”.
As a public policy graduate student at George Washington University for the past two years, I have been immersed in the study of domestic policies, its histories and its mechanisms. For instance, I have learned to analyze the economic effects of welfare reform, the social effects of housing policies, the far-reaching effects of public education policies in DC, and the list goes on and on. What initially drove me to study public policy was my attempt to understand the source of the inequities that I saw everyday. I realized that all to often, the source of such inequities were a consequence of poor public policies, often the root of the problem. Another reason for my interest in the field was my desire to move beyond “band-aid” solutions to social problems, and instead, to attempt to reach the heart of the problem.
At Pilgrims too I have witnessed a similar desire in the congregation – the attempt to reach core social issues, and to search for ways to advocate for fair and equitable solutions. Since I started attending Pilgrims last summer, I have been impressed by the depth of advocacy and outreach activities on the part of the congregation. Last year’s participation in the Washington Interfaith Network’s appeal to Mayor Adrian Fenty for affordable housing policies is a prime example of Pilgrims acting locally towards the universal basic right of affordable housing. Other social justice and outreach activities such as “Open Table,” “the Darfur Vigils,” “the Pilgrimage” and “More Light” church activities, are all avenues of local involvement that can in turn have great global impact. Indeed, I do see community involvement as a form of “thinking globally and acting locally”.
All things considered, it was easy for me to be drawn to Pilgrims as a community. But that doesn’t mean that I always understand the big, deep theological questions. However, I presume we are not always supposed to understand these. So, I continue to search and learn. Without a doubt, my spirituality and my philosophies have been shaped by the communities that I have been a part of, starting with my childhood in Sri Lanka, my adolescence in Knoxville, Tennessee, and then in Washington, DC for the past three years. Pilgrims has been the newest addition to my evolving group of communities. In this New Year, as I look to my own community background for avenues for a more just and equitable world, I realize that these are the big, deep questions that hold my attention, and I hope the Church’s as well. As I continue to search and learn, I hope that “my light will shine” through to help be a part of those answers.
Thank you.
