Reconciliation with Jim Wallis

Greetings Gentle Readers,

As the song goes, "the war is over". Jim Wallis, the left leaning, radically new evangelical who wrote God's Politics , and I are on speaking terms again.

Last night I attended an event where Jim Wallis redeemed himself. I doubt that he knew he was doing this but it worked wonders for me. The last time I saw him was on the west coast with the college group when Ms. Gold Shoes asked the paragraph long question from the gay asian lawyer and the Chief was a responder to Wallis. This time, I was at a different college with Sr. G and Jim said a lot of new stuff that really got me thinking right now.

Here's some of it:

The people left behind in New Orleans are those who have been left out of the system.

A silent tsunami kills 30,000 people each day from hunger and poverty related issues

The way to change the system is not to change the politicians but to be the wind changers ourselves.

The poor have been caught in the debate about them....go out and make personal connections with the poor and your life will change.

Instead of figuring out where our assests will place us higest on the scale, lets look at our vocations and what our gifts are. What do we do that makes us lose track of time and meet the needs of the world at the same time?

So, in essence, I am back on Wallis's side. Except I thought that he missed out by not accepting 2 of my college group's coolest students.

Otherwise, I am well. I miss parts of my community back in Pasadena but each day flies by here. I am adjusting to the schedule. I am getting along wiht the other sisters and am living in the community space that is off limits to the guests of the house.

The other postulant arrives today and I'm really going to watch my personal space and my boundaries. What I've discovered since being here, and my instincts feel good about being here so far, is that despite my high extroversion, I am at heart an introvert who needs to recharge after a lot of interaction. I realized that I did this by living alone and then going out into the world and then coming back into my space.

Now gentle readers, while I miss talking to you whenever I want, I also love not having a cell phone or a set of keys and am really loving that I live in an extremely poor neighborhood and operate on an amount of money that most would laugh at. There's a lot to be said for being counter cultural and visible about it!

One of my urban intern friends raised the issue of community and what the meaning is behind entering and being entrenched in life transforming groups and then leaving for other opportunities that perhaps we didnt ask for. I've been wondering why we are pulled into great communities and then are often asked to leave them. I initially was saddened to know that my west coast church wasnt going to be the church I died at and that the college group was only in my life for a season. But what a season!!! I met so many amazing students and cultivated so many relationships that it only seemed right to not hide my light under a basket or keep it all in one place. When I was in my covenant two class, I kept feeling that my CA church was only a stopping point on the journey, that it was a preparation for something else. Each place I stop at seems to give me tools to keep on keepin on in this never ending journey.

But through the beauty of self adhesive, non stick putty (hail to the Chief for introducing me to Prestik) I was able to put up in my room all sorts of pictures of Church, my college group, Africa and my friends. It really looks like me now. I feel at home. I cannot believe that on thursday I will have been here for 2 weeks. The days really fly bye.

Today is the feast of Saint Luke so there was an elaborate mass with red vestments and lots of smoke and chanting. Lunch today will be an elaborate meal and there will be talking at this meal and at dinner tonight. Today after the morning meeting, I helped the kitchen sister and this afternoon I will spend 2 hours reading/doing laundry. Tonight is a free night so I'll catch up on emails.

The weather contines to be variable. The tree with yellow leaves outside my window is blowing up a storm right now. Earlier this morning it was raining. Supposedly the sun will be out this afternoon. I was reading in the paper that the weather out on the west coast is nice and sunny. It is nice to pull on a coat and wrap myself in a blanket on these crisp fall days.

Peace and love,
monk_1975