Relections on the Via Crucis 2006

My handy online dictionary defines gratitude as "a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation", from Old French, probably from Late Latin grtitd, from Latin grtus, pleasing.  As I reflect on spending part of my Holy Week connected with bloggers around the globe and in a host of faith tradition, I am humbled by how inadequate any expression of appreciation I might make. 

My understanding of the communion of witnesses who surround us, enliven us and bring a more complete understanding of the Kingdom of God has really radically expanded.  When we joyfully responded at my home parish "The Lord is risen indeed Alleluia" on Easter morning, I knew that our voices were part of a chorus of countless voices, online & offline, who had travelled the way of the cross and were transformed by an empty tomb & the risen Incarnate One.

Suffice to say, this little rag-tag re-living of the way that Jesus walked far exceeded expectations:

• Over 12,000 people visited the Grid Blog site during Holy Week, which represents only a small percentage of the people who visited the individual bloggers who reflected on these holy steps on their own blogs.
• Posts that contain Via Crucis Grid Blog per day for the last 30 days.

My own reflection on this post from an elearning thinker made me understand on a much deeper level the implications of  community knitted together in the story that unites us:

Here in blogland, we do that by searching through the ‘nodes’ of people’s interaction. We can look through who links to them, and who they link to and get a sense of what kind of a thinker they are. It doesn’t stop us from looking elsewhere for information, but it does give us the vaguest inkling of where people are coming from. This is authority granted by community.

I invite folks who blogged and folks who read along this grid blog to share their own reflections, if they feel so moved.