Since leaving the seminary last August, I’ve been temporarily staying with Ashton in West Orange, NJ. I thought I might be here a month at the most. I’ve now been here 10 months, but tomorrow I’m moving again. I never expected that I would be living 10 months out of a few boxes with all my stuff, my books, in storage in two different states. Four more months in yet another location, and I will have belongings in three different locations – I’m being spread way too thin!
The family that owns the house in which Ashton has lived for the past four years or so and where I’ve stayed are moving on, and by necessity so are we. I have to decide by this evening were I will be living for the next four months until the apartment above the rectory at St. Paul’s finally becomes available. Ostensibly, I will be living in Brooklyn more permanently and will be able to bring all my stuff to one location.
I don’t know what I will find when I begin unpacking! I’ve said for a long time that I want to live simply, and for the most part I have. Yet, things accumulate and not wanting to be wasteful I keep moving all the stuff I’ve accumulated. These past 10 months have reinforced in me the understanding that I do not need very much. I just don’t. I don’t need to buy into American consumerism or materialism – but it is hard not to.
Tomorrow, everything changes once again. I’m tired of everything changing again and again. I know that change is the watchword for the American social zeit geist, but there does come a point where even the most adept at change realize a diminishing return, particularly concerning relationships.
I’m just tired of yet another something.
Daily Archives: June 28, 2006
Some responses…
The following are some links to various responses to ++Rowan’s Reflection statement offered to the Communion only yesterday:
Thinking Anglicans
– good comprehensive list
The Anglican Communion Institute – I must say, I do agree that the need is to move away from political wrangling and back to the mission of the Gospel!
Preludium: Mark Harris+
Anglican Communion Network: Bishop Duncan
MadPriest (of course I could be wrong) – for an English perspective
– I really like this statement from the MadPriest commenting on the Bishop of Rochester,Michael Nazir-Ali: “In other words, we should be very suspicious of anybody calling for division who might benefit from division.”
A consideration: When the Archbishop calls us to reflect upon local parishes or diocese or provinces or even individual members needing to make sacrifices for the unity of the entire Communion, upon whom does that burden most fall? Does the burden of sacrifice fall evenly on all provinces, diocese, parishes, or individuals?
I agree with the Archbishop. However, my impression is that the burden of sacrifice is expected of those who favor the full inclusion of people oriented towards the same gender and not the other side. Will some sort of burden of sacrifice be expected of Archbishop Akinola and the Province of Nigeria, along with many others who oppose homosexuality? What might that sacrifice look like? Then again, Akinola will not compromise and doesn’t need to sacrifice because he and his compatriots of course are right and don’t have to, right?