6x6c6e6r6t6: Deception of Surfaces
The beginning of chapter 12. *** Round Midnight The rooms of the second floor of The Retreat opened on to the balcony that enclosed the Assembly Room on three sides. Above the lobby and facing American Street was the biggest room: the rehearsal room, which had been two offices before the Retreaters had knocked … Read more
Kenyapost 9
Kenya: a poem of gratitude. Suddenly I am on the womb-earth dressed inappropriately decked out in my distractions encumbered by clutter like an organ overgrown with cancer like a walking virus Then the Rift smashes me clean ripping off the excess pulling me open and apart polishing me down to the tender nubs and … Read more
Panachepost 6: re-collections
What is it we cherish about being in plays? Doing what we love, doing it well, certainly. Having a job in a fickle business. And all the subterranean urges and desires I have written about before: the narcissism, the escape, the replacement love. I related to all of these in Cyrano. The first four months … Read more
Kenyapost 8
The following was written en route from Nairobi and London, 36,000 feet above the Sahara Desert, when I had some time on my hands. 15 hours later, as I moved through passport security at Newark Airport, the passport officer asked me what I was doing in Kenya. “Conference” I replied. “What I kind of conference?” … Read more
Kenyapost 7
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 Today we leave. I travel to a “guest house” in Nairobi today, and go to the airport early tomorrow morning for the long flight home. We were 850 Friends … Read more
Kenyapost 6
As with all divisions among Friends, the best strategy when encountering them is to shift our focus from our differences to our similarities. This is what we did in my home group yesterday, dividing into smaller groups, and spending about 45 minutes sharing about all the things we have in common. Almost all of us … Read more
Kenyapost 5
And just like that, the salt loses its taste and the light goes under a basket. The issue of homosexuality erupted at the conference yesterday. I had been having a quiet spiritual morning, skipping the large morning gathering to worship by myself in the “quiet room” – a small room FWCC has designated for quiet … Read more
Kenyapost 4
Here’s how it is in Africa, I think. At least if you’re a Westerner and you’ve never been. It begins with frustration, disappointment, disorientation and homesickness. Then you fight it, and you try to make it behave. And it smiles at you with perfect Kenyan teeth and shakes its head ‘no’ with love. Then you … Read more
