Reflection Day 2 - Almost 3.....

At some point today I stopped being shocked by the size-of-it-all here at GC and became aware of the Ubuntu, I in You, You in Me where the collective wisdom is greater than the individual. This is the theme of this convention and I see it around me and am aware of it around me and in the midst of me.

I spent some time this afternoon resting at a table in the food court (where Wayne Rollins found me, but that is another story), cup of coffee in hand with not quite enough time to head back to the hotel to catch even 10 zzzzz’s and not nearly enough energy to keep going. I found myself studying a huge quilt panel which told 6 stories of people who died of HIV/AIDS in the late 80s and early 90s. I was struck by the set of the information table placed before the quilt – it looked like an altar; 2 red candles burning, one to the left, the other to the right and a huge, contemporary floral arrangement throwing up its huge leaves in celebration of life and love and hope. Ubuntu --

George, the volunteer at the HIV/AIDS booth, and I spent some time talking quietly about the work they do, the variety of responses to the quilt – people stop to pray, cry, tell their stories. In fact, I shared a story of a friend lost to HIV/AIDS and the celebration of another friend who has lived with the virus for 20 years. Ubuntu –

George, with great sorrow, told about young people who have no memory of the terror this disease held for us all and how cavalier they are about being able to live with it, since ‘no one dies of it any more.’ Ubuntu --

And all God’s children do have a seat in the choir – even me! Ubuntu ---

During this afternoon’s session we told our stories to another person whom we did not know. I spent time with Ann, a delegate from Lexington, warily at first because the topic was B033; our story in relation to it; our church’s story in relation to it and where we go from here. We discovered that for very divergent reasons we agreed that we, as individuals, as members of our local parishes and delegates to GC believe it is time to move on, by overturning this resolution. And we, the collective, GC-wide we, will work our way through this in the days to come. Ubuntu ---

Thank you for electing me as an alternate to GC. Ubuntu ---