At the Liberty Bell, many passers-by stopped to ask questions and take our literature. Jonathan Sank held a sign with a variation on Matt. In the first parable, a man finds treasure hidden in a field, then sells everything he owns in order to buy the field. In the second parable, a merchant finds a pearl of great price and sells all that he had to buy it. In the third parable, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches many kinds of fish.
Fishermen then sort through the catch, keeping the good fish and discarding the bad ones.
I have discovered a hidden treasure while praying for peace in the world. This hidden treasure is God's Love. God is constantly sending waves of love and peace to the earth, and as I have stood praying week after week in all weather, I have felt a slow transformation of my heart to become a more open channel for the peace that God sends to humanity and the earth. I believe that the Spirit is doing this same work in the hearts of others who participate at the vigils, though everyone may experience it in different ways. I have sometimes felt our silent public prayer emanates something real, though hidden, that affects passers-by and the world.