As I drove up the ramp to Route 80 West, the GPS said in its robotic voice "drive 349 miles on Route 80 west." That was my welcome to the highway, a virtual straight line to the turnoff to Erie, PA. My welcome to the Rose Home, one of eight L'Arche homes of L'Arche Erie, was much warmer: a sign on my bedroom door, the enthusiastic greetings from Bev and Michelle, a quieter one from Joann, and a huge hug from Lisa. These core members of the Rose Home are proud of their house and love visitors. At dinner, I heard about their days at work or other daily activity. They wanted to know how long I was staying and if I had a dog. My two favorite times at L'Arche are dinner and prayer time: dinner because I love to share a meal with lots of people (there were ten the first night) and prayer time because it is quiet and energizing at the same time. The time spent in prayer at the end of the day is full of gratitude and peace; joined with the ordinary time of meal preparation and eating, it is a reminder of how holy our moments together are.
I was really fortunate in this visit to be part of a community day. This is a gathering of all eight houses, core members and assistants and other staff, for a full afternoon of storytelling (by Bob Kloos, who told the story of the workers in the playground, which sounded suspiciously like the parable of the workers in the vineyard!), prayer, games, and of course, a meal.
My favorite moment was at the end of prayer time at another house where I was invited to dinner -- Oasis House, home of four men and assistants. Jason asked if they could sing the L'Arche blessing for me. Around the table, they raised their hands in blessing and sang, "May the blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord."
On the way out of town, I saw this sign.
I am sure L'Arche folks know all about its message.
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