A Week in Review

It has been quite the week, as usual:

I discovered how very much un-healed my spine is, now five months after my collision, when I woke up Wednesday unable to move my neck, shoulders, and upper spine. I barely moved all day, and the pain has continued throughout Thursday. I just want to be mobile by Sunday.

I got myself into a "heated" debate about politics and religion, in which I found myself defending, for some crazy reason, a conservative, Christian, Republican who more or less said that God punishes women who have abortions by making the rest of their children handicapped because the first born of all creatures are to be "dedicated to the Lord" and called it fact. Someone posted the quote, and then added in how furious Christian Republicans made them. I jumped in, identifying myself as Christian and a registered Republican (though, honestly, I'm not a huge fan of either party) that did not agree with him. The discussion quickly became about how secularism and atheism are superior to religion because they "don't have beliefs" and how America was founded by atheists. Atheistic superiority is just as hateful as Christian superiority, and I had to make my own opinion heard. It was probably stupid, but I saw my 16-year-old self in that Christian-hating, atheistic superiority. It was probably a fight against my own ego, more than anything.

I reconnected with an old friend, to whom I owe my life for making me swear to her that I would never ever commit suicide. I was twelve, and life was hell by thirteen; though she was no longer a part of my life, that promise kept me alive. So it was weird to reconnect. It feels dream-like. It feels like life has been poured into my soul again, like my promise has been fulfilled, and depression's reign over me is gone forever. Light has returned. But it's less about her and more about me; I don't need a promise to lighten the dark, for I am the light.

Sunday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is coming to my church to preach. My church will be utterly packed. And while he gives his sermon, I will be elsewhere on campus, assisting in Children's Chapel and missing his sermon completely. As selfless as it may seem to help with the kiddies and miss Archbishop Desmond Tutu's sermon, I'll admit that it wasn't really a hard sacrifice to make: the sermons are filmed every Sunday, so I watch it Sunday evening/Monday morning; I love being around kids; and the kids are all getting taken up to the altar to celebrate the Eucharist up close and personal with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, so I'll be up there with them. I'll miss feeling the energy of the room during the sermon, but I have to say it's not too bad of a trade off. And I don't mind doing my duty to help out the church. After all, what kind of future priest would I be if I wasn't willing do my part?

UPDATE: Children's Chapel got cancelled so that the kids could all hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu's sermon. I'll get to see it live after all! Apparently, people are going to be lining up to get good seats over an hour before the service, yeesh! I've heard (or, well, seen on Facebook) people who definitely do not go to my church talking about coming. I'm pretty excited. Also, my spine is getting better.