Mietzke's Holden Adventure

It was a nice day today. Dave, David, Mary and the girls all came and helped me take apart the periodical portion of the library and set it up temporarily in the new library area so that the work week people could build a stairway up to the top floor of Kononia. It went pretty smoothly and hopefully we will move into the new Library space soon. Then we played around at home for a while. Mary and Nyrie made new sweat pants for her baby doll while Jordyn played with Ellie and Rachel in a couple of huge boxes in the attic. Dave and his Dad hung out for most of the afternoon relaxing and reading. It has been such a blessing to have Mary and Dave here. It was a cold day and the snow fell again on and off all day.
The vespers was nice. Pastor Eric spoke about how the Bible has been used as a weapon in many different settings and that as followers of Jesus, we need to stand against using the text for anything but spreading love, compassion and understanding. It was an uncomfortable topic for some, but something the “New church” has to address. Violence in the name of God is still violence and as followers of peace we need to live as such and stand against those who use the words of the text to alienate or discriminate against other humans, animals, or the earth. This topic of Non-violence has been on my heart lately as I have been thinking about the war in Iraq and many of the other atrocities done in the name of peacekeeping. As the elections draw near and there is fighting going on within us, as well as with our candidates, I wonder do we really want to be voting for people who resort to verbal violence to manipulate or distort the view of someone else. Why can’t we just focus on the issues at hand, and state what it is we believe without having to cut someone else down to make our point. I think that I am so bothered by all of this because I recognize the violence in myself, in my reactions to situations sometimes where I don’t pause to think before speaking.
As I have been at Holden I have been able to step out of the cycle of stress that surrounds so much of what we do in our world. I have really been able to slow it down and take time before reaction. It seems that in the outside world much of what we deal with is reaction oriented. We are not able to be as creative and we find ourselves getting into the mindset that quicker is better, that saving money or making money is the only way to get things done. What a blessing it has been to get away from that way of being.
As much as I can’t wait for spring to come what I have experienced in the snow is a sort of quite balance. It seems to wipe the slate clean, and allow for an experience of the subtle. Right now at the edges of our paths there are growing patches of grass and gardens. Next to the dining hall the snow around the paths is receding daily revealing bulbs pushing up through the ground. Herbs and greenery are peeking out from beneath the snow banks and every day there is something new. This morning as I was walking across the hill I saw a bench that I had been walking across all winter that I hadn’t even known was there. I love being able to take the time to be witness to change, both within people and the world. I keep thinking about how many times in my life I have not stopped to notice something or someone. This experience at Holden has given me the opportunity to really be with people and to begin to see them a new each day along with the changing world.