Together Baton Rouge Reflection

I truly enjoyed the field trip that our class took down at St. James.  Having met some pretty cool people, I can easily see why this organization is so successful.  By dividing into smaller groups, we had a more intimate atmosphere to think and share ideas about the text.  I learned a great deal more about the text than what I initially thought that I would.  Whenever I saw that we were reading the parable about the poor woman giving all of her money to the church, I wasn't exactly intrigued because I've probably heard the story.  It seemed pretty simple- the rich people would give a lot of money and the poor woman would give barely anything, but the woman gave more in other ways because she had given all that she had.  In our analysis, the group read two different passages of the same story.  In reading the two, our groups were able to notice smaller details that we had not seen before.  A lady named Ms.  Maggie made note of something I wouldn't have thought of. Though the lawmakers were those that were supposed to set a humble example of what giving to the church must be, they did the exact opposite.  This reveals many separations of social classes through the small parables.  It was very enriching for me to talk about how the story relates to our own lives and how we can use it to help the greater good of the community.  I think that this organization really carries out its name.  It puts action to what we learn in our faith, making me think about how I convey my faith to help our society.  It motivated me to not only to become more in tune with my religious side, but to volunteer and make little changes in my routine.  I will definitely try to remember the parable when a situation presents itself, acting more like the widow and less like the lawmakers.