Church (continued)
December 9, 2010
Today, the same Jon and I went for a 20 mile bicycle ride. I think in the past 9 months, I have probably ridden about 5 miles collectively. Obviously, my legs will be sore tomorrow, but my passion for riding (and for physical challenges in general) has been violently rekindled.
We also talked at length about the topic of the need for a feeling of spiritual community. My wife and I agree (I think) on a large life goal: we want to find a small town to live in or near, a place where we feel we could make a significant contribution, a community that we could be part of. Kelsi is a pretty talented visual artist with a gift for interaction with people en masse, and a passion for teaching. So, the obvious thing for her to do in life is to teach art, to encourage people in this stifling culture to express themselves artistically, to expose that most vulnerable part of themselves that is best harnessed with creative mediums.
I am very passionate about food production and music, and would like to encourage people in whatever way I can to play music and grow their own food. This could take the form of weekly musical get-togethers (hootenany’s, you might say) and a community garden project, or some form of instructional gardening, cooking classes, a community cannery, etc. etc.
Essentially I’m talking about opening a community center of sorts, except that many of the activities would likely take place in our home. Along with all of this, I would like to see a community of religious tolerance and interaction that would transcend individual belief to encourage everyone equally as human beings. We could have meditation meetings, yoga instruction, Koran, Bagavad Gita, Bible studies, etc. etc. Anything to open a dialogue between different belief systems, to encourage everyone to respect everyone else for their underlying humanity. After all, almost everybody has the same core values, regardless of doctrine…
