home safely
Dear Friends,
We’re home safely—JJ, Sinina, Margaret, and Sam in Uganda, and Holly and I on the Mendocino Coast—after our last week on the road, and an incredible month-long tour. I spoke with JJ this morning, and as you could expect, he’s thrilled to be home with his new baby girl Grace Ellen Ntuyo. In JJ’s proud words, “She’s very beautiful, and very fine”.
Since my last post we visited new friends in Sacramento, celebrated our work in San Francisco with their Interfaith Council, and their members the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, Temple Emanu-El, The Islamic Society of San Francisco, Congregation Sherith Israel, culminating in a day with Grace Cathedral, where the Reverend Alan Jones gave a wonderful Easter Sermon. Then on to Los Angeles where we were hosted by the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council, The Wilshire Boulevard Synagogue, and Holy Family Church in Pasadena. Our trip ended with a quick, but wonderful visit to Olympia, Washington, where a young but inspired interfaith collaboration is in the works, led by Beth Hatfiloh, Interfaith Works, and others.
All too soon, it was March 27, 5:30 in the morning, in an airport motel down the road from the Seattle airport. We were stuffing too many suitcases in too small a van for the last time, and this time, as we moved through check-in and security, Holly and I stepped back and watched as our friends made their way through to their gate, to Boston, through Amsterdam, back to Uganda. And I couldn’t help but feel that it felt a little like a family was being split up, or at least saying going different ways, out into the world to live our own lives, but with the knowledge that there is a place and people to come back to. I often find myself looking for aspects of community, family, and friendship in my relationships through this work. As I’ve said before, when you get down to it, business is really just a certain kind of relationship between people. And more often than not, thankfully and beautifully, I find these connections. For me, the teary departure, the proud goodbyes, are signs that we are on the right path, that we are coming together on the most fundamentally human terms, honestly, genuinely, in relationship that is not free from struggle, but rich with learning, growth, and real progress.
I know that though our tour was overbooked, overscheduled, underslept, and sometimes frantic, we did in fact share this same family-like connection with hundreds, if not thousands of people across the country. To those of you who have brought this story into your life, who organized an event, hosted us in your home, sang along, asked a question, or wished us well, thank you. It’s great to be home, great to get some rest, and great catch up with friends and family. But it’s hard to say goodbye, not only to JJ, Sam, Margaret, and Sinina, but to each of you, and the whole experience of being welcome in the world, at home, far away from home.
Yours in Peace,
Ben