The past calendar year feels like 3 years of my life. Each of the 3 seasons of my life in 2007 were so vastly different from one another that they seem like completely separate slices of time. First was finishing up college, then working at Grace Place while living at home over the summer, and the most recent and continuing chapter of participating in Discipleship Year program in DC. But now it's 2008, which definitely has one big transition in store (when the program ends in August) and probably some others also. Meanwhile, I'm trying to reconcile all this change with the need for roots. Hmm...
While I was home for Christmas with my family, I was talking to my housemate Emily on the phone and confided that "living is community is like being in love." What I mean by that is, when you're in love no matter how good things are where you are, you want to be with your significant other. Going home was wonderful and I enjoyed it thoroughly, but there was still the piece of me that is with my community. Community, like being in love, feels like the greatest necessity and the most comfortable place you can imagine. I'm seriously considering how intentional community living can be integrated into the rest of my life.
Needless to say after that sappy segue, it is great to be in DC for New Years. We threw a classy wine and cheese party at our house last night. A good time with good friends and good laughter and some crazy dancing antics as well.
And, of course, this is New Year's resolution time too. In the past I've had very concrete NY resolutions, like flossing or exercising 5 days a week, but this year I'm feeling different. Several things have been pointing me toward the need for a paradigm shift rather than just small changes. True, it's harder to make big, sweeping changes than to make incremental changes into habits which add up to big changes over time. I'm not trying to make a 180 change or a huge overhaul. Instead, I'm trying to live into the "why" of the changes I see as necessary in my life. If I can be in tune with the larger reasons for the small steps, then I'm more likely to change something that affects the big picture. Resources like Brian McLaren's newest book "Everything Must Change" and storyofstuff.com and the documentary film "What Would Jesus Buy" about Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are all challenging me with the concept of sustainability. (I highly recommend that you check out all of those things.) Brian McLaren especially hit home because his entire book is about how if we live our lives framed by the story of being children of a great Creator who are active participants in a lasting and glorious creation, then we would live our lives very differently and in a way that would be better for ourselves and our brothers and sisters around the world.
Most obviously sustainability is linked to how I consume which effects my contribution to the global economy and the environment and the quality of life of people who are part of this earth and economy. By that I mean that I condone or condemn the system by where I spend my money. I'm not super-rich, so the main effect of this kind of sustainability is the challenge to my personal philosophy to not participate in systems that devalue people and earth in return for profit. But sustainability also effects the overall quality of my life. I want my health to be sustainable so that I can achieve goals like hiking the Appalachian Trail or strengthening my yoga practice or just being able to enjoy life and the outdoors more by being fit. I also want to be sustainable in my happiness which is greatly influenced by my spirituality and relationships with people. Making choices for sustainable relationships with God and people and my inner self may cost some convenience or take some effort, but are more than worth the results.
So that's how I'm coming into 2008. I'm excited and hopeful for the new things that are taking root in my life. I wish the same for you. Happy New Year!
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