Cross Vigil
DAY 37: Wednesday 21 October
Today was more about the Peace Pole arriving than anything
else. It was not due to arrive until tomorrow, but if it had not been
for it arriving today Colin and I would have been bored to tears! Yesterday
it rained all day, yet it was so busy. Today it did not rain at all,
but it was very quiet. So we were gald the Peace Pole arrived today.
Young men from a Training Project who helped build
the Peace Pole deliver it to the site. It looks like they are really
taking pride in this and are as much looking forward to its unveiling
on Saturday as we are. They have invited family members and friends.
When Mr. Indescribable Kevin the Muffin Man arrived and I had selected
my muffin, he shouted out to the lads and asked if any of them wanted
a muffin! I had to quickly stand back for fear of being trampled under
foot by the Muffin Mob! About 10 hungry lads lit on Kevin, with some
of them taking two muffins. One lad stood with a muffin in each hand
and said, "This is the first bite I've had to eat since yesterday".
The Peace Pole is made of steel. It has the word PEACE
in English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh and is open to interpretation
like "From chaos to peace" or "Steps to peace" or
"Building blocks to peace" etc. At the base of the pole will
be the words, “He is our peace who has made the two one and destroyed
the barrier, the dividing wall between us”. Ephesians 2:14.
We did have a few other visitors like John here who's
having a laugh at my attempt to pronounce PEACE in Irish and Scottish,
and Johnny Prentice who came along to join the discussion. Two school
teachers from Loughshore Cross Community School came by to chat and
to photograph me standing with the cross. They said they had heard about
what I was doing and wanted to come by to wish me well. They had several
young people with them in their mini bus who were busy trying to roll
the bus over on its side as their teachers stood chatting with me. They
asked if they could bring a group of young people to City Life Centre
to hear about what we are doing and to ask questions. I of course agreed
to this.
Towards the end of the day someone competing for the
No.1 Heckler spot appeared at the top of the Peace Pole. It looks like
we might have a long winter!
