It's a Small World, After All
Shortly after I realized I was going to be State-side longer than I'd originally thought, I contacted my good friend Katie back in Morocco, to ask if she could get in touch with Janette. Janette was one of two people who'd worked at my GWA (my old school) who was in the Seattle area. (And the other one, no way in anywhere that I'm going to contact her! Let the reader understand.) I met her for only five minutes, as she taught at the school before I got there, and knew her as someone dating a guy that I'd had the opportunity to meet a few times, teaching at a school back East of us in Casablanca. I didn't know her at all. But I thought it would be fun to get to interact with someone with some common GWA and Morocco experiences, and a more liberal take on the world- something rather rare at GWA. Unfortunately, Katie tried and tried, and was unable to reach Janette.
I visited the Kindlings Muse again today, to listen to Dick Staub be interviewed actually, about his new book, The Culturally Savvy Christian. (If you'll recall, he gives podcasts from a liberal Christian perspective, in the tradition of Jim Wallis, John Perkins, and Tony Campolo.) It sounds like a great book, encouraging us to go beyond the shallow sub-culture American Evangelicals have created, and really try to live the Kingdom. I got a chance to ask him about the role that martyrdom and persecution play in radical Christianity, and you can hear his answer here, at the beginning of the 3rd installment of the podcast. The typical way this happens is the interviewer wanders through the audience with a mike, asking audience members to state their name and then read their pre-written question.
After the final segment, a woman came up to our table. She asked to confirm that my name was Jedidiah, and that I'd lived in Morocco. After receiving dual affirmations, she announced that she was indeed Janette, whom I'd met for five minutes! Unable to reach her in any other manner, I suddenly found her at a table in a bar listening to pontifications on progressive Christianity.
This proves two things. My name is astonishingly rare. And it really is a small world of liberal committed Christians here in Seattle.
I visited the Kindlings Muse again today, to listen to Dick Staub be interviewed actually, about his new book, The Culturally Savvy Christian. (If you'll recall, he gives podcasts from a liberal Christian perspective, in the tradition of Jim Wallis, John Perkins, and Tony Campolo.) It sounds like a great book, encouraging us to go beyond the shallow sub-culture American Evangelicals have created, and really try to live the Kingdom. I got a chance to ask him about the role that martyrdom and persecution play in radical Christianity, and you can hear his answer here, at the beginning of the 3rd installment of the podcast. The typical way this happens is the interviewer wanders through the audience with a mike, asking audience members to state their name and then read their pre-written question.
After the final segment, a woman came up to our table. She asked to confirm that my name was Jedidiah, and that I'd lived in Morocco. After receiving dual affirmations, she announced that she was indeed Janette, whom I'd met for five minutes! Unable to reach her in any other manner, I suddenly found her at a table in a bar listening to pontifications on progressive Christianity.
This proves two things. My name is astonishingly rare. And it really is a small world of liberal committed Christians here in Seattle.
Comments
Good to hear from you, Mary! Long time since seeing your comments- always appreciated.
I blog less nowadays, as my month tallies show on the side. Less cool stuff happening on a regular basis, and less travel.
I hope youare well. I agree with drh above. How's the salsa going, tell us about adventures you've had in Seattle...
Of course, my very exciting weekend consists mainly of grading a bunch of papers and figuring out something to do with my mom that, well, let's me get papers done.
I'm exhausted. I've spent all day cleaning my classroom. In 20 minutes I leave and reward myself with some sketching in a public garden.
(Actually, the photos above remind me of the video of that song. Everyone looks ready to jump up and join in.)