 from the principal's desk. . .
At home and at home
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 2 Corinthians 5:6-9
This time last year I was packing up my house in Ontario for the move to Winnipeg, and packing my bag to attend the World Diakonia Conference in Chicago. At the end of May I packed a bag and returned to Ontario for my first visit after moving. I had a busy two weeks there, connecting with friends of the Centre and attending meetings and some time off to see family. I found myself saying “I’m going home to Ontario, and then I’ll come home to Winnipeg”. My experience of being ‘at home’ in two places makes me hear Paul’s words differently – instead of a contrasted either/or – I hear Paul naming that we are at home in our bodies and at home with God. Instead of “at home with God” being a state we can only achieve after the death of our bodies – I hear echoes of how sometimes we have more than one home – even if one is at a distance.
 Paul’s emphasis on being at home in our bodies stands in contrast to some of the theology developed in gnostic communities – which devalued bodies as debased and worthless, compared to our spirits. If we embrace the mystery of being at home in our bodies and with God – we start to break down dualistic systems that have valued elite intellectualism over bodies, and valued some bodies over others. In today’s world where some bodies – brown bodies - are so clearly valued over others, Paul’s naming of being at home in our bodies is possibly more radical now. And it doesn’t take many steps to move from thinking about being at home in our bodies to being home in the land – with all the complicatedness of acknowledging whose traditional land we now call home – and how we – whether at home or away – can make reconciliation our aim.
My prayer for the summer is that we might all experience moments of feeling at home in our bodies and in this land; and may these feelings of being at home open our eyes and hearts to the needs of other bodies, and their rights to be at home on the land.
And throughout, may we experience faith and confidence that we are also, already and always, at home with God.
 Photos:
Michelle and her sister at home on their parents' boat, Lake Huron
Rainbow, Perth County, Ontario
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Common Threads
With solstice this past week, summer is officially here. There's a little irony, it seems to me, with the sun peaking at its highest in the sky and the longest day, as the moment that marks summer's beginning. As the sun begins its slow decline we move into a season of holidays and renewal for some, and prime growing season for others. Are you in renewal or growth right now? Drop us a line and let us know what your summer brings.
The Centre for Christian Studies is delighted to announce that Marcie Gibson is joining our Program Staff team on a permanent basis. Marcie has been working with the Centre for the last two years on contract, facilitating the Integration Year and coordinating field placements. She grew up in the Anglican tradition, is a graduate of CCS and a Diaconal Minister in the United Church of Canada.
By making your donations monthly you can support the kind of learning that prepares leaders to meet the needs of real people. Ken DeLisle, Companion of the Centre, shares why he gives this way:
