...after a few days' rest

I cannot tell you how nice it's been the last few days to catch up on sleep, mail letters, and fold laundry. But I'm back. Thank you, too, for coming back.

I finished Sakharov's book on Saphrony's theology; it was well worth the labor. Some theology books have the mind-numbing effect of tenderly placing your mind into a yatzee cup and then "Mwa hahaha..." they have a go at you, tumbling, jostling your soul about until -spew- there you are all over the floor. By contrast, Sakharov's words and cadence felt much more like a ship at harbor on a still night, calm, rocking easily back and forth. His words would never command me out to sea, but the words were filled with the promise of adventurous voyage. Most often, they would come in a soft whisper, "It's so simple: love." How like the entire tradition of Orthodoxy.

This morning, after morning prayers (which happen every morning at 8am at the Raphael House), Father David asked me to present to the other college agers at the house what I'd learned from Saphrony's theology. I presented for about ten minutes, and was quite thankful for Telford's "present on what you've read" days throughout my college experience; it made today's summary of fairly complex ideas seem like a walk in the park.

So thanks, Telford.

And while I'm on personal communication: Heather Marie, you have a deal. But you had better show up as a follower on my blog... Oh, and I love, love, love the more letters resolution. I'm with you on that one.

Lynne: I'm meeting with Cora Rose next week re: financial wisdom post-college life. So expect a full report on the financial world after that conversation.

People, especially people up here, are asking about the Magic Theatre, because it's imprisoning most of my time (ummm...in the good way). Rehearsals are... rehearsals. Once the mysterious allure of the title "assistant director" gets stripped away, it's a pretty mundane list of things I have to do: scribble verbatim the words Robert (the director) whispers during a run-through like "He needs to stand a little to the left." I make frequent lunch runs. I tell the actors they're doing a good job (because Robert rarely does). And yes... I do get to make occasional creative comments. I'm very pleased to say that I've made a number of suggestions that have found their way into the staging. On the whole: a valuable experience. It tells me Westmont is a solid preparation for life-after-itself if it's taken in tandem with an internship. Will Zak-in-theatre continue? This is doubtful, but remains to be seen.

A nature-y walk is today's goal. I'll also be green-thumbin' it up at the Raphael House, doing some spider-plant relocation.

I finish with a quote from Saphrony [and for clarity's sake, when he says "hating oneself" he's talking about the complete opposite of "self-love" or "selfishness"]: "I is a magnificent word. It signifies persona. Its principal ingredient is love, which opens out, first and foremost, to God. This I does not live in a convulsion of egoistic concentration on self. If wrapped up in self it will continue in its nothingness. The love towards God commanded of us by Christ, which entails hating oneself and renouncing all emotional and fleshly ties, draws the spirit of man into the expanses of Divine eternity. This kind of love is an attribute of Divinity."

The Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.