I am not a regular churchgoing person.
I find that 4-cornered box claustrophobic to get into, so would rather meander my way into it, making room for a quick escape before anyone notices me. I shrug off the tea and cookies afterwards, trying to be polite without looking like I’m making a mad dash for the door. My relationship with God, has to be on my own terms. Having said that, last week was a particularly rough week, and we were kind of at our wits end by Saturday, so I threw the idea of a visit to Grace this Sunday out there. Alan, I believe out of sheer desperation to make peace, and find solace, quickly agreed.
Alan’s mother once told me he was too cerebral for religion and spiritual reflection. Which was why I am particularly drawn to Grace Cathedral’s twilight contemplative Eucharist. The Episcopalian route is a good one for us, as they welcome this recipe of blended scripture, innovation and open-minded conversation, where inclusion is expected and people of all faiths are welcomed. I love that we’re encouraged to think and debate the gospel.
On the way, we’d had this intellectual debate about the environment, and opposing theories as to global warming, as we whizzed through the trolley-crammed backstreets of Nob Hill. It was 70 degrees in the evening in what is traditionally Fall in a chilled city. We’ve had 4 days of these mellow, shrug-off-the-jersey temperatures. And then the opening hymn: “the earth is bruised and broken by the ones who still want more”. I can sniff out manipulation in a heartbeat, cerebral as I am, and am bothered by untempered media bias and mass hypnotism, so I am not necessarily buying global warming, but mouthing these words alongside my husband’s off-key singing, was all I needed to dump the resistance and just want to do more. Regardless of who is causing what, I am going to borrow my smart brother’s response, which was one cannot deny we are harming our earth. So today I will make an effort to give back, want less and listen all the while to the sighing of our planet.
