Walkers visit the rainbow
For the first time, Kelowna’s annual Good Friday Walk of the Cross stopped for a prayer at the rainbow crosswalk at the downtown intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Pandosy Street.
“There’s still a lot of homophobia, xenophobia and racism out there,” said First United Church Rev. Donald Schmidt.
“While society has made great strides in accepting the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning) community, refugees and people who are different, we are not fully there, by far.”
The City of Kelowna painted the crosswalk in the rainbow colours of the gay pride flag a few years ago to commemorate Pride Week and has left it as a permanent fixture.
The Walk of the Cross is an Easter event spearheaded by First United Church and supported by other denominations.
Some religions are more accepting than others of the LGBTQ community.
“There is much more that needs to be done,” said Cheryl Perry, First United minister for family and social justice.
“LGBTQ members of our churches and communities still do not have complete acceptance. Some do not feel safe, some experience violence, exclusion and rejection. The purpose of the walk is to look at places in our society where crucifixion still occurs. Where are people today still misunderstood, rejected, unfairly judged as Jesus was? It is with these people that God calls us to walk.”
Jesus was crucified and died on the cross on Good Friday and rose from dead on Easter Sunday in the most significant miracle in the Christian realm.
The Walk of the Cross started at First United, at the corner of Bernard Avenue and Richter Street, with Rev. Schmidt carrying the cross to the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society at 442 Leon Ave.
At the society, a prayer was said for Aboriginals who have suffered for generations from Canada’s colonization, residential schools and loss of culture.
From there, it was onto the crosswalk and then the Gospel Mission for a prayer for the homeless and the disadvantaged.
The prayer at Outreach Urban Health called for a stop to fentanyl, and all drug, abuse and deaths.
The route this year was shorter than in the past 13.
After peaking early on with about 40 people participating in the walk, attendance has been dwindling as supporters get older and can’t walk distances.
On Friday, there were only 12 walkers.
There’s still a lot of homophobia, xenophobia and racism out there. First United Church Rev.
Donald Schmidt
“Even with reduced attendance, it’s important to do this,” said Perry.
“We get mixed reactions from people who see a cross being carried through the streets of Kelowna. And that’s good. People need to be reminded of the Easter story and the hope for better today.”