Hiatus

Well, time is vanishing before my eyes. Pressure ratcheting up. Two days after we arrived back from Canada I headed to beautiful California - and I mean gorgeous. Spent a week in the hospitable and beautiful environment of Point Loma Nazarene University. I really, really enjoyed the space - but I truly enjoyed the time. Mostly the time with some of my 'old' friends - occasional but deep friends. People I both admire, and think of as extraordinary. People who have bumper stickers like: When Jesus said, "Love your enemies," I think he probably meant don't kill them on their walls. Wonderful. Really. Good conversation. Time to be. Challenging. For example see this: Social Justice Gates' style A wonderful time to think. Imagine. Time to create space for all that was and is to come. Or do I mean have space created in me? Not a void, but a waiting place... not empty, but whole. Anyway... it's late!!

There were several things I found incredibly interesting: the quest for social justice over there is (once again) so much more clear and driven by real visible problems and pain. Partly, a reflection of injustices that seem more evident - particularly in issues of migrant workers... But also because there is a strand of Christianity (it seems to me) that has willingly and prophetically urged itself on (you might say been urged on)...and has carved out a niche for itself.
Part of the discussion that I heard snippits of was related to homosexuality - I know that this is an enormous issue for the church, but at points I reflect desmond tutu's view:

For one to penalise someone for their sexual orientation is the same as penalising someone for something they can do nothing about, like ethnicity or race.
"I cannot imagine persecuting a minority group which is already being persecuted."

I don't know all the answers, and I certainly want to reject the labels, certainly within our church I'd much rather have someone openly struggling with sexuality (whatever their orientation) than lying and hiding and leading a double life. And I would expect that anyone would be perfectly welcome amongst us - if not, that would be OUR sin, not their's. Anyway, this is not particularly thought through, and of course, I have friends from a range of perspectives, but still... huge issues to grapple with -that must be grappled with in hope, honesty, with deep love and respect and godliness . Particularly since often the 'official'language of the church is - at best - well... I don't even know that I have the words. God grant us all great grace.

I've been reading Dante and Berry some more. Good. And I am trying frantically not to get so far behind in PhD'ing that I can never catch up - so, like many others I am likely to take a hiatus from blogging. And Face book (aka 'spybook') and Bebo and anything else that I've been hornswoggled into...

On the home front, there's a lot happening too. The best right now, is the birth of Oliver Michael Jan Bielecki, who is gorgeous, and sweet, and a wee delight. Also very good is Andrew's distinction on his MA [he won't tell you, but I will :-)]
Amongst the worst, my uncle Bill's death this week [May his memory be eternal], and the ongoing trauma of Derek Blair's arrest and ultimate court case. The very worst - a dear friend terribly ill- much grief, pain, anguish, anger, frustration - and I find myself over and over again thinking that cancer is representative of all that is wrong, and broken in the world. I look for a way through in solidarity with those who mourn. I hope for the space to sit and be with others who are groping for a way forward.

I read this on another blog [Tony Jone's] by Robert Frost, and liked it. It intuitively fits with so much of the Wendell Berry I've been reading - time, space, meaning, others mattering. I think that most of all we all want to have meaning - and enable others to have meaning too. Stopping sometimes helps that happen.

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

SDG, anon

More from across the pond

beloved grandpa
Andrew's first Western ride


And more from Canada. . .

So, we're having the most lovely, relaxing time. Reading, thinking, walking, chilling, learning so many things. As I write, we're watching a CFL game, with Ken and Darlene and Terry Fach - fantastic home-made pepper jelly and cream cheese crackers. Terry is enacting plays and teaching Andrew more of the nuances of the rules.... We've played a lot of tennis these last couple of weeks. Spent time with the reigning Canadian Amateur Golf champion (my cousin Nick! Brilliant) Andrew has met more and more family members, and we've had great conversations about all kinds of things.

It is a wonderful country, I'd forgotten. Mentally, we are gearing up to come back - though I leave on Sunday for Califormia so it won't be a long touchdown for me.