Interlude: A Journey of Continued Transitions
Summer seems to be my season of stopping at the arcs in the road as the next path of my journey manifests before me.
Let’s face it, I feel as if there are many paths which are floating in different shades of blue that I am or have the potential to walk,
but its the ones usually that are illuminated with the Creator’s Light that I turn my very being towards and travel to see what purpose and what experiences that I am to be immersed in.
In 17 days, I say my farewell’s to a community that I have been a part of for over 2 years. I am thankful for the Creator placing me among the people of Augustana Lutheran and Body and Soul UChicago Campus Ministry.
In 25 days, movers come to our house to begin that trek towards the East Coast. And so the organizing and deconstruction of our house here begins,
even as a wild jungle has evolved in our small backyard and hares, skunks, hummingbirds, cardinals and other beautiful things have made a home there. Even in these spaces that share remnants and echoes of the Natives that should be among us and whose land was ripped from them;
even in these communities who do not reflect the Diaspora and who have held onto values of the 1950’s while ignoring the looming shadows of economic destruction from factories that were given carte blanche access to destroy the lakefront, land and the people who thought that these jobs were safe; even with the fact that for over three years, my son was able to be a typical teen and enjoy a carefree life without the fear of being attacked for the color of his skin-with all of this, this was home for my family. I will miss this patch of green that we nurtured, nourished and cultivated.
In 27 days, we will have keys to our new abode. We will not have the ability to embrace the greenery outside our doors but we are in a place where we have the ability to access Creation on both sides of Niagara. We will have the ability to bring Creation indoors and fill our new home with life. What we will also not have the ability is to reach out, and physically be immersed in known community as we always have been, here in this place I have called home since birth. But there is a wealth of community to learn and be welcomed into and I am excited that I will authentically be immersed and leading a community that awaits the fruits of my gifts, skills and talents.
In a month’s time I will begin work with a new community and will also celebrate my installation at this new coop ministry. Churches should be the center of their community and churches should also work together as co-ops, to do the work that the Risen One has left for us-because that is the key to divine harmony.
I am excited; there is still more preaching to be done, community to experience in Milwaukee next week (ELCA Churchwide Assembly), gatherings of community celebrating with us and the closing of a chapter-and the road unfurling before us.
But the Creator and THAT community of Ancestors and the Divine are already carving our sacredness before we land, so that we are always aware that regardless, we are loved.
Ache’
Thanks be to Creator.
