MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM NEW YORK’S CENTRAL PARK.
CENTRAL PARK. FOR MORE, LET’S BRING IN NEW
FATHER DAVE DWYER, A PRIEST IN
THE ARCHDIOCESE IN NEW YORK AND
CO-HOST OF CONVERSATION WITH
CARDINAL DOLAN BOTH ON SIRIUS XM
RADIO, AND LAKESIDE
IN THE CHICAGO SUBURB
OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.
FATHER AND RABBI GOOD MORNING TO
YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
BEING HERE. >> GOOD MORNING, HAPPY EASTER.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SANDRA: WONDERFUL TO HAVE
YOU BOTH AFTER WE’VE JUST HEARD
FROM FRANKLIN GRAHAM A MESSAGE
OF HOPE STANDING THERE.
FATHER TO YOU FIRST.
IN NEW YORK CENTRAL PARK YOU
THINK ABOUT THE BACK DROP TO HIS
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. THE SAMARITAN’S PURSE FIELD
HOSPITAL SETUP THERE, 14 TENT,
68 BEDS, 10 ICU BEDS.
YOU’VE GOT HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE TREATING
COVID-19 PATIENTS IN THOSE TENTS
RIGHT BEHIND HIM, AND THE
CHAPLINS FROM BILLY GRAHAM’S
RAPID RESPONSE TEAM ARE IN THERE
TRYING TO DELIVER THAT SAME
MESSAGE OF HOPE.
YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM REVEREND
GRAHAM’S MESSAGE?
GRAHAM’S MESSAGE? >> WELL, A COUPLE OF PASSAGES
THAT HE PREACHED ON FROM THE NEW
TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES ARE SPECIAL
TO ME AS WELL.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT THIS IS
A TIME UNIQUE LIKE NO OTHER,
PERHAPS, EVEN IN THE HISTORY OF
THE WORLD, WHERE WE ARE IN A
STORM AND WE’RE IN A STORM
ALTOGETHER.
ALTOGETHER. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED AND UNIQUE
OBVIOUSLY IN A TRAGIC WAY, BUT
PERHAPS THERE IS A WAY THAT WE
AS A HUMAN FAMILY, ALL AS
CHILDREN OF GOD CREATED IN
THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD,
CAN REALIZE OUR BONDED TOGETHER
NESS BUT POPE FRANCIS
SAID IN HIS EASTER MESSAGE THIS
IS NO TIME FOR IN
DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE THE
ENTIRE WORLD IS SUFFERING.
SO THE MESSAGE OF HOPE IS ONE,
THAT AS REVEREND GRAHAM PREACHED
, THAT GOD DESIRES OUR
HEALING, GOD DESIRES US TO BE
SAVED, TO BE COMPLETELY UNITED
WITH HIM, AND EASTER IS A DAY
PARTICULARLY THAT WE RECALL, AND
CELEBRATE THAT.
CELEBRATE THAT. TYPICALLY, WE’RE USED TO
CELEBRATING IT TOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE’D RATHER SEE IN
CENTRAL PARK, WE WOULD RATHER
SEE A BIG WIDE SHOT LIKE SIMON G
ARFUNKLE CONCERT WHERE IT
WAS JUST PACKED WITH PEOPLE AND
EVERYONE WAS LIKE YES, JESUS AND
EASTER AND YES, GOD LOVES US AND
WE CAN’T EXPERIENCE ONE ANOTHER
OR GOD IN THAT WAY THIS EASTER,
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD WHO DON’T HAVE
A CLICK THEIR HEELS HAPPY JOYFUL
TIME ANY TIME LET ALONE THIS
TIME OF THE YEAR.
I BELIEVE THIS UNITES US WITH
THEM PERHAPS UNIQUELY FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
FIRST TIME. >> SANDRA: RABBI SUCH AN
IMPORTANT MESSAGE AND AS YOU
HEARD REVEREND GRAHAM SAY AT THE
END THERE, WHO KNOWS WHAT NEXT
WEEK HOLDS.
WEEK HOLDS. WE DON’T KNOW.
THERE’S SUCH GREAT UNCERTAINTY
RIGHT NOW, AND AT A TIME WHERE
SO MANY ARE STRUGGLING,
MEDICALLY, YOU’VE GOT COVID-19
PATIENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO
ARE LOOKING FOR THAT MESSAGE OF
HOPE.
HOPE. YOU HAVE ALSO THOSE WHO ARE IN
ISOLATION WHO ARE LONELY
TODAY.
TODAY. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE?
>> OH, WOW IT’S SO TRUE, MY
MESSAGE ACTUALLY GOES BACK, I
WAS VERY MOVED BY REVEREND
GRAHAM’S SERMON THINKING OF
DARKNESS I THOUGHT OF THE PLAGUE
S, THE PLAGUES THAT
GOD INFLICTED UPON EGYPT THAT
ULTIMATELY PRE-SAGED THE JEWISH
PEOPLE, AND WHEN THEY WERE
WALKING ACROSS THE RED SEA, THEY
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT CAME NEXT
EITHER.
EITHER. THEY WERE WALKING INTO THE
WILDERNESS, AND THEY HAD
TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISE AND I
THINK THAT’S MY MESSAGE FOR
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WE MAY BE IN A KIND OF
PHYSICALLY DARK PLACE RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN’T BE WITH ONE ANOTHER,
BUT SPIRITUALLY, THIS COUNTRY IS
STRONGER THAN EVER.
IT’S TRULY AMAZING HOW PEOPLE
HAVE REACHED OUT TO ONE ANOTHER.
I JUST CAME ACROSS RECENTLY THIS
QUOTE FROM G. K. CHESTERTON
, THAT AMERICA IS A
NATION WITH A SOUL OF A CHURCH.
WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY SOUL
IN OUR COUNTRY, AND PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN REACHING OUT TO ONE ANOTHER
, SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER,
GUIDING ONE ANOTHER, AND I CAN’T
TELL YOU HOW STRONG AND MY
COMMUNITY FEELS STRONGER THAN
ITS EVER BEEN AND I THINK THAT’S
BECAUSE EVEN IN THIS TIME OF
DARKNESS, ITS BROUGHT OUT THE
BEST WITHIN US.
>> SANDRA: RABBI THAT’S SUCH
AN UPLIFTING MESSAGE AND ONE WE
ALL NEED TO HEAR THIS MORNING
AND FATHER IT REMINDS YOU OF
WHAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING NOT JUST
IN NEW YORK CITY BUT SPREAD TO
SUBURBS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY,
AND OTHERS BUT PEOPLE RAISING
THEIR WINDOWS, SHOUTING OUT, YOU
KNOW, APPLAUDING THE HEALTHCARE
WORKERS ON THE FRONTLINES,
FIREFIGHT RES LINING THE STREETS
TO SAY "THANK YOU" AND THAT,
THAT SENSE OF UNITY IS WHAT WE
ALL NEED TO GET US THROUGH THIS
, FATHER.
, FATHER. >> WELL, AND IF YOU LOOK AT AND
I HOPE RABBI WILL AGREE WITH ME,
REALLY THE MESSAGE OF BOTH HAVES
OF THE BIBLE, THE HEBREWS
SCRIPTURES SOMETIMES CALLED THE
OLD TESTAMENT AND THAT WHICH
TALKS ABOUT JESUS AND THE
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AND THE
NEW TESTAMENT IF ONE HAD TO
BOIL IT DOWN TO ONE SINGULAR
MESSAGE, PARTICULARLY THE
COVENANT NOTION OF THE HOLD
TESTAMENT, IT IS THAT WE ARE A
PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND THAT THIS
NOTION OF IT’S JUST ME, OR
EVEN JUST ME AND GOD, WHICH
QUITE FRANKLY, A LOT OF US TEND
TO THINK ABOUT, IN TERMS OF OUR
FAITH OR RELIGION, BUT YOU
CAN’T GET THROUGH VERY MUCH
CERTAINLY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
OR PARTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
LIKE THE ACTS OF APOSTLES OR
THE WAY JESUS GATHERED PEOPLE
AROUND HIM AND THE GOSPEL AND
CONTINUE TO THINK THAT THIS IS
JUST A SINGULAR ENTERPRISE THAT
COMMUNITY AS YOU JUST PUT IT,
COMMUNITY IS REALLY WHAT FAITH
IS ALL ABOUT.
IT’S TEMPTING TO THINK OF IT AS
WHAT CAN I DO TO PUNCH MY
TICKET SO THAT I, OR MAYBE EVEN
MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY, CAN HAVE
ETERNAL LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT BUT PRIMARILY THE MESSAGE
WE SEE FROM OUR GOD, THE GOD OF
ABRAHAM, IZAAC AND JACOB, THE
GOD OF JESUS IS THAT IT IS
ALL OF US TOGETHER, THAT GOD
EMBRACES US AS A PEOPLE, NOT AS
A PERSON AND ANOTHER PERSON AND
ANOTHER PERSON.
ANOTHER PERSON. IT IS ABOUT TOGETHERNESS, AND
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> SANDRA: SUCH A STRONG
MESSAGE, THE POPE THIS MORNING
CALLING FOR VICTORY OF LOVE OVER
THE ROOT OF EVIL, CALLING FOR A
CONTAGION OF HOPE OR PERHAPS,
RABBI THAT WAS AN OBSERVATION.
>> OH, IT IS, IT’S AN
OBSERVATION, AND I LOVE WHAT
FATHER JUST SAID ABOUT TOGETHER
NESS, AND YOU KNOW THE
TRUTH IS, GOD SPEAKS TO US
IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND DIFFERENT
TIMES AND AS I THINK ABOUT PASS
OVER, PASSOVER IS THE OLDEST
RELIGIOUS RITUAL IN THE WESTERN
WORLD IN A WAY THAT GOES ALL THE
WAY BACK TO EGYPT WHERE THEY
CELEBRATED PASSOVER THE NIGHT
BEFORE THE FINAL PLAGUE AND
THROUGH EXTRAORDINARY TIMES AND
DIFFICULT TIMES AND EXPERIENCES,
WE’VE ALWAYS CELEBRATED PASSOVER
ITS EVOLVED AND THE WAY THAT
PASSOVER CELEBRATIONS WAS
CELEBRATED 13TH CENTURY SPAIN IS
DIFFERENT THAN 20TH CENTURY
AMERICA AND DIFFERENT FROM TODAY
SO MANY PEOPLE USE ZOOM AND
DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES TO
CONNECT US ON PASSOVER.
GOD STILL SPEAKS TO US WHEREVER
WE ARE, HOWEVER WE ARE AND
THAT’S THE BEAUTIFUL PART ABOUT
OUR FAITH.
OUR FAITH. GOD IS WITH US, EVEN AS WE ADAPT
TO HEAR GOD’S MESSAGE FOR OUR
WORLD.
WORLD. >> SANDRA: THAT’S AMAZING.
YOU LOOK AT PALM SUNDAY AND THE
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY AND AROUND THE
GLOBE THAT DID LOG ON TO
THOSE ONLINE SERVICES BECAUSE
THEY ARE SO HUNGRY FOR WORSHIP
SANDRA, BACK TO YOU. >> SANDRA: THAT’S BEAUTIFUL
AMY KELLOGG IN FLORENCE FOR US
THIS MORNING THANK YOU.
LET’S BRING BACK IN FATHER DAVE
DWYER AND EVAN MOFFIC.
RABBI IF I COULD START WITH YOU
FIRST GOING BACK TO THE POPE’S
MESSAGE SOMETHING THAT WAS SO
IMPORTANT RESONATES WITH SO MANY
THAT WHILE WE CAN ALL LOOK AT
THE GOOD THAT HAS COME FROM THIS
, WE’RE HUNKERED DOWN WITH
OUR FAMILIES SPENDING MORE TIME
WITH OUR CHILDREN THAN WE EVER
HAVE, TURNING TO FAITH, THE
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IS BIG.
YOU LOOK AT HERE AT HOME IN THE
UNITED STATES, 17 MILLION
PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OVER
THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
THAT ECONOMIC HARDSHIP COULD
HAVE LASTING EFFECTS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE
WHO MAY BE LOSING HOPE OR
FAITH AS THEY DON’T HAVE A
PAYCHECK COMING IN RIGHT NOW.
>> RABBI MOFFIC IT: MY FIRST
MESSAGE IS THAT WE’RE WITH YOU.
WE UNDERSTAND, WE’RE HERE.
I THINK THAT IS CERTAINLY IN MY
CONGREGATION TALKED TO PEOPLE,
AND THE OTHER, IT’S REALLY JUST
I’M HERE, WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU
, AND ALSO, THE SPIRIT OF
GENEROSITY HAS BEEN ENORMOUS.
A FEW DAYS AFTER OF THE SHELTER
IN PLACE ORDER WAS PUT IN
ILLINOIS, WE SENT OUT A
MESSAGE TO THE CONGREGATION
ASKING FOR DONATIONS TO HELP
THOSE IN NEED AND LITERALLY,
WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR HOURS OF
THE E-MAIL, SEVERAL TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS CAME IN
FROM PEOPLE SEEKING TO HELP
OTHERS, SO I THINK THAT THERE IS
A FEELING OF GENEROSITY AND
SUPPORT AND THAT WE’RE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER.
THIS TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEFORE THIS
HAPPENED, WE’VE BEEN IN
SUCH POLITICALLY POLARIZED TIMES
, AND WE ALMOST FELT THAT
LIFE AND DEATH DEPENDED ON ONE
PARTICULAR ARGUMENT OVER ANOTHER
, AND NOW, WE KNOW THAT
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER,
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRATS, PEOPLE OF
DIFFERENT RACES, ETHNICITIES
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, SO I
THINK EVEN THOUGH WE’RE
EXPERIENCING DEEP HARDSHIP, WE
DO FEEL A SENSE OF HUMAN
CONNECTION AND KINSHIP THAT I
HAVEN’T SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
>> SANDRA: FATHER FINAL
MESSAGE TO YOU THERE.
YOU GO BACK TO FRANKLIN GRAHAM’S
MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL PARK A
MOMENT AGO TALKING ABOUT A STORM
THAT HAS GRIPPED THE WORLD.
HE SAID "JESUS IS THE HOPE THAT
THE WORLD IS LOOKING FOR ."
LEAVE US OFF WITH YOUR MESSAGE
THIS MORNING ON THIS EASTER
SUNDAY?
SUNDAY? >> FATHER: I’LL BORROW A
LITTLE BIT MORE FROM POPE
FRANCIS, I LOVE FRANKLIN GRAHAM
’S MESSAGE BUT POPE
FRANCIS WAS PREACHING ABOUT WHAT
WE HEAR FROM THE SCRIPTURES ON
EASTER SUNDAY, AND INTERESTINGLY
, WE DON’T EVEN
WHEN WE CAN COME TO CHURCH WE
DON’T COME TO CHURCH TO HEAR
LIKE A BIG DISNEY ENDING.
JESUS DOESN’T JUMP OUT OF THE
TOMB AND GO HEY GUYS, YOU’RE
ALL GOOD.
ALL GOOD. WE CONCLUDE THE EASTER SERVICE
MERELY WITH THE EMPTY TOMB AND
HEAR THE STORY OF THE WOMEN WHO
WERE THE FIRST TO GATHER THERE
AT CHRIST TOMB AND THEY THINK
AND PASS ON THE MESSAGE TO THE
OTHER DISCIPLES THAT IT SEEMS
LIKE ALL HOPE IS LOST.
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS THE
DARKEST HOUR.
DARKEST HOUR. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO LIGHT
AFTER THIS.
AFTER THIS. WE KNOW, OF COURSE THAT THAT IS
NOT TRUE AND THE MESSAGE OF
EASTER, EVEN IF RIGHT NOW, WE’RE
ON THE PART OF THE PAGE THAT IS
JUST EMPTY TOMB, WE KNOW THAT
THE TRUE MESSAGE THAT GOD LOVES
US AND GOD DESIRES TO HEAL US
AND TO SAVE US IS THE MESSAGE OF
EASTER THAT CHRIST DOES IN FACT
RISE, AND LIGHT COMES INTO THE
WORLD AND ALL HOPE IS NOT
LOST, THIS IS NOT OUR DARKEST
HOUR, THIS IS THE DAWN OF EASTER
>> SANDRA: FATHER DAVE DYWYER
AND EVAN MOFFIC, WE