Since I came back to Ontario a couple weeks ago I’ve been reflecting quite a bit about where I am at. Things are good right now- I went to Fair Havens for a week of work and then got offered a sweet gig at The Gateway for full time work for exactly one month- which honestly couldn’t have worked out better. Then at the end of the month I’m going to Israel until Christmas- can you believe that? me neither. Beyond that I don’t know where I’ll be which has been the source of much reflection. Where do I want to be? How much do I really just want to be part of a community right now? What if I don’t find that there? This time of being away for an extended (indefinite?) has caused me think about how lucky people with roots actually are.
When I came back to Canada a couple weeks ago I moved my stuff straight into a new house (parents moved) and then visited old friends and old house mates in Toronto when I began to have this sinking feeling that I am in complete transition and that I am without a home per se. I don’t feel that comfortable in Vineland (where my parents moved), Toronto is nice and I love the people very much but their lives have continued on and I’m not the player I once was in the story there- the show did go on. When I was at camp it certainly did not feel like the home it once felt like and soon I will be in Israel where- unless I am off on this one, it won’t feel like home.
What did feel like home- which took me completely by surprise was Philadelphia or rather, the people in Philadelphia. In fact, I think if you took those people and brought them here I would feel a whole lot better. I spoke with Nathan about this today and he seemed pretty excited as he said ‘your home is with people now and not places…’. I love Nathan.
So people and not places- I think I have known that all along but the trouble is that good communities have a place where the people live and eat and breath and play. It’s home because the people have a physical, concrete place to do life together. Perhaps that’s what’s missing- the consistency of the people in one place.
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In other news,
Faith, Hope and Love went to Africa today and she will have great stories on her blog about pre-Africa happenings at her her church and about her time in Kenya. There’s probably nothing there right now but you just wait.
Shannon is in Nicarauga right now and apparently living it up.
Ian and Lauren are in Winnipeg. (had to have a Mclaren link in this post)
Posted by cjlewis 