Home
I just moved again. It’s my fifth move in ten years. And with due respect to the others, this place truly feels like home. It’s right in the heart of Prairie Village. A quick five minute walk to Euston Hardware. And Dolce Bakery. There are so many campaign signs for candidates I support. And so few big black trucks.
Like Wendell Berry, I do believe that we are all of a place. I’ve written about the physical aspect of that - how our organs are made up of the water and minerals of where we eat and drink. Where we breathe. Some organ’s cells turn over more quickly than others. Some in days, others in decades. A few will always be made of cells taken from our mothers.
But as much as our body is made of a place, our minds and hearts are even more localized. I can feel at home in Mali and India and Tuscany and Mexico and many other places. But I’ll always be from this part of Kansas. My spirit is calm here. At baseline.
It’s the same way I have always felt about our church. From the first time I met Holly, in August 2008, I knew that I was home. I had been seeking, and then I was found. And when Peace Church rose up from the ashes in 2011- when we also moved five times before landing at our present location- when some of the early members faded away- when new people arrived- when the church consolidated during Covid then began growing once again - one thing has always been constant. Peace Church feels like home.
And like in the song- and in this year’s stewardship campaign - it’s because of all of the little flames. All of you. What a remarkable group you are. Diverse skills and interests, experts in your fields-but all working in some way for love, justice, equality and for the long-term health of the planet and its inhabitants.
And we all need to do what we can to keep the fire of Peace Church burning.
Holy One, you are in, around and through us all. Help our fires to grow stronger this season and every season. And help us protect and nurture our home. Amen
Brandon, among other things, is a member of Peace Church.