The latest slam poetry we just can't get enough of...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCErQ4bviIY
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
A day for the bums...
We finally got Greg back from New Orleans last night and we had a reunion at the Monster House to watch Blake, Nate, and Jon's show... which was incredible. Well done boys. There we decided that everyone who had nothing to do on Monday (today) would join forces and do nothing together.
Half of the group doesn't have jobs at all... the other half either a) called off or b) didn't have to work today. This left me, Kelly, Blake, Greg, Nate, Jon, Jonny, and Rachel free to be bums together all day.
After a quick episode of south park with Greg, we met up with Kelly, hit the North Market, and then met the rest of the bunch at Goodale Park for a picnic. The food collection, mostly made up of food left over in our fridges that were about to be thrown out, turned out to be a splendid selection.
We ate and talked and laughed and got photographed by the newspaper. We listened to music and played frisbee and scoop ball. We laid in the grass with our faces in the sun. We climbed trees. We enjoyed our community and each others presence. We missed Jy and Patience. We decided that we should all have sick days more often.
After a few hours had passed we decided we should move on. Kelly, Greg, Jonny, and I headed back to Martin and eventually met up with Jy, made some pizza and mashed potatos... had a trip to the "convienent" store... and enjoyed the sun setting on the front porch.
I wish everyday would be a bum day. I think we would all live longer and happier because of it.
I find myself, yet again, deeply loving community and deeply loving life.
Half of the group doesn't have jobs at all... the other half either a) called off or b) didn't have to work today. This left me, Kelly, Blake, Greg, Nate, Jon, Jonny, and Rachel free to be bums together all day.
After a quick episode of south park with Greg, we met up with Kelly, hit the North Market, and then met the rest of the bunch at Goodale Park for a picnic. The food collection, mostly made up of food left over in our fridges that were about to be thrown out, turned out to be a splendid selection.
We ate and talked and laughed and got photographed by the newspaper. We listened to music and played frisbee and scoop ball. We laid in the grass with our faces in the sun. We climbed trees. We enjoyed our community and each others presence. We missed Jy and Patience. We decided that we should all have sick days more often.
After a few hours had passed we decided we should move on. Kelly, Greg, Jonny, and I headed back to Martin and eventually met up with Jy, made some pizza and mashed potatos... had a trip to the "convienent" store... and enjoyed the sun setting on the front porch.
I wish everyday would be a bum day. I think we would all live longer and happier because of it.
I find myself, yet again, deeply loving community and deeply loving life.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Young hearts, be free!
We woke up early at the Martin House to see our brother Patrick off on his crazy journey. He is walking from Columbus to NYC as an act of peace and repentance and to stand against the war. His letter to the community...
hello fellow peacemakers,
recently i have been wrestling with how i--as a military veteran who has bent his sword into a plowshare--might publically speak against the u.s.-led wars in iraq and afghanistan and advocate for peace. in the process, i came across some material for the “yes we can” campaign. this is an intense four-month national campaign by an organization called united for peace & justice (www.unitedforpeace.org). the campaign--which marks the sixth anniversary of the iraq war (march 19th) and is centered on martin luther king, jr's speech "beyond vietnam"--calls for both an end to the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the redistribution of military funds for housing, healthcare, education, jobs, and environmental stewardship initiatives. the campaign culminates, in part, on april 4th with a national peace march in new york city. at that time hundreds of thousands will convene at the heart of that city's financial district in order to call for peace and the reinvestment of funds into the nation's communities.
Pray for Patrick, his feet, his soul, and for hospitality for him.
hello fellow peacemakers,
recently i have been wrestling with how i--as a military veteran who has bent his sword into a plowshare--might publically speak against the u.s.-led wars in iraq and afghanistan and advocate for peace. in the process, i came across some material for the “yes we can” campaign. this is an intense four-month national campaign by an organization called united for peace & justice (www.unitedforpeace.org). the campaign--which marks the sixth anniversary of the iraq war (march 19th) and is centered on martin luther king, jr's speech "beyond vietnam"--calls for both an end to the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the redistribution of military funds for housing, healthcare, education, jobs, and environmental stewardship initiatives. the campaign culminates, in part, on april 4th with a national peace march in new york city. at that time hundreds of thousands will convene at the heart of that city's financial district in order to call for peace and the reinvestment of funds into the nation's communities.
after some reflection, i not only feel compelled to participate in the march on april 4th, but also to walk to the event as an extended witness for peace. on this journey i will walk approximately 550 miles over a fifteen-day period, relying solely on the hospitality of others along the way. i will arrive in the new york city area on april 3rd, with the journey coming to its climax the following day with the peace march itself.
while this walk, in and of itself, will not bring peace in iraq, afghanistan, or any other violent part of the world, i believe that God can use small, foolish acts such as this in order to highlight the ugly realities of violence and awaken people's imagination to the transformative power of love.
karen and the kids plan on accompanying me by car for the first couple days of the walk. they will then return home until it is time to meet up with me in new york city for the march. i would love to have others from the community join me as well--whether along the way or for the march. please join us on sunday, 3:00pm in order to conspire further.
peace,
patrick
We joined at 6 this morning... 11 of us from the community... j meier read some scripture of the disciples going out like this which was encouraging to hear... we all took (emotional) turns to anoint his head with oil and say a blessing over him. Then we laid hands on him and prayed for his journey and together sang a hymn and set out to watch him walk off.
Pray for Patrick, his feet, his soul, and for hospitality for him.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
On and on and on...
I am enjoying the last half of the sabbath on my front porch with Kelly... surrounded by my beautiful green plants and the basil seeds I just started. We just scored a great new vintage table from our neighbors trash and it makes a great addition to our porch. We are sipping some cheap wine and eating some delicious dip we got from kelly's mom. Most of all we are enjoying conversation, the sunshine, each others company, and the neighborhood cats.
The morning was spent at my future home in the bottoms... worshipping with our homeless friends, biking around the neighborhood, touring people in the bike shop, sitting on the front porch of martin, and hanging out with our future neighbors. Life is very full... and very meaningful... and very joyful.
Yesterday reminded me of the gift and the fullness of community of friendships. I spent most the night at the bike shop with Greg and Jy. They were hard at work and in between my tasks I was dancing to the hip hop (Lauryn Hill and Nas) playing in the background and riding the shop bike (the destroyer) around the rain barrels til I got dizzy. Then we went to see a folk concert at a bar on high street and got to dance with and enjoy patience, jy, blake, jon, and nate while doing so. What else do you need in life than a community that offers love and peace and support and fun and affirmation and everything else we need to get by in this world?
The morning was spent at my future home in the bottoms... worshipping with our homeless friends, biking around the neighborhood, touring people in the bike shop, sitting on the front porch of martin, and hanging out with our future neighbors. Life is very full... and very meaningful... and very joyful.
Yesterday reminded me of the gift and the fullness of community of friendships. I spent most the night at the bike shop with Greg and Jy. They were hard at work and in between my tasks I was dancing to the hip hop (Lauryn Hill and Nas) playing in the background and riding the shop bike (the destroyer) around the rain barrels til I got dizzy. Then we went to see a folk concert at a bar on high street and got to dance with and enjoy patience, jy, blake, jon, and nate while doing so. What else do you need in life than a community that offers love and peace and support and fun and affirmation and everything else we need to get by in this world?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wendi Weekend
Thursday and Friday of this week consisted of us six faithful friends finishing out the 340 minute movie/ documentary called Country Boys about the struggle of young people in Appalachia. It took us three nights total to watch the whole thing. The first night, earlier in the week, the six of us piled onto the the pull out couch in the living room, shared some chocolate milk, guacamole, and laffy taffy, and got involved in the lives of Chris and Cody (the country boys themselves).
Thursday we continued the journey into the lives of these two boys... and Friday after our meeting about the new house on West Park and a celebratory dinner at the tip top, we (tearfully) wrapped it up and ended our relationships with Chris and Cody.
Saturday was a significant and memorable day to say the least. Kelly's sister-friend Wendi was in town from NY and came to stay for the night. We potlucked here with Greg, Jy, and Jonny, and had tacos courtesy of the Clintonville Community co-op. Despite the cold weather, we bundled up, got out our bikes, and hit the city to show Wendi around. We showed her (parts) of Franklinton... and naturally took her to our favorite place, Tip Top. We enjoyed some PBR, good conversation, sweet potato fries, laughter, and love before we headed back to the boys.
We got back and played on the new homemade key-tar as well as dueled with harmonicas in attempts to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man". I was not very good at it, but desperately want to be. We lost a few to sleep shortly after but Greg and I decided to hit up Blake, Nate, and Jon's house warming party... and good thing we did because Patience was drowning without us. We danced around like there was no tomorrow, and the boys even put on Love is a Battlefield to honor our presence. We danced late into the night and I realized I will never be sick of dancing around and looking a fool when music is on because it is so freeing and so joyful.
Dancing might be one of the most soulful things I can do. Dancing with the people you care about most makes it even better. It's spiritual.
I'll leave you with the precious words of Tolstoy in the latest of his essays I am immersed in...
On Anarchy,
" To use violence is impossible; it would only cause reaction. To join the ranks of the Government is also impossible- one would only become its instrument. One course therefore remains- to fight the government by means of thought, speech, actions, life, neither yielding to government nor joining its ranks and thereby increasing its power.
This alone is needed, will certainly be successful. And this is the will of God, the reaching of Christ."
Whew.
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