The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire says "It Gets Better"

Here is a wonderful video made by the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, openly gay Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire in response to the unwarranted suicides of many LGBTQI teens over the past months.

Please watch it and let his words lead you into thought about your role as a person in our society.

ACCEPT vigil

Last week several members of the Charlottesville gathered on the north steps of the rotunda at UVA to honor and celebrate the lives of those LGBTQI teens who took their own lives as a result of bullying by their peers.

It was an extremely uplifting evening with many encouraging words and many tears.

Canterbury Fellowship attended the event as a group to show our support for all those who have been the victims of bullying on the basis of intolerance and ignorance.

QUAA and the organizers of this event asked me to speak. My own words were for those who no longer have a voice in this world and for those who feel they don't have a voice.

I implore you all to think about your role as a member of our society and ask that you make a commitment to end this kind of bullying.

Shortly I will be uploading a video, created by the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire and openly gay clergy member. I'll also - once I've had a chance to edit my words - post a transcript of my speech to this blog.

Peace be with you and always remember: you are exactly as God made you. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Ever yours,

Sean

Parish Hall Meeting Discussses Gay Marriage

Las night we went to a meeting at St. Paul's, Ivy to discuss the diocese's decision to write a liturgy for the blessing of same sex marriages.

I have lots of notes and will post more about this later - but it was definitely an evening of listening and learning.

New local coffee shop opens

So there's a new local coffee shop on the corner that I tried today and it's totally Indy and hip and just plain awesome.

My iced mocha was good but this sign was even better.

Drops of Wine

*Try To Praise The Mutilated World*

Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June’s long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of wine, the dew.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You’ve seen the refugees heading nowhere,
you’ve heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth’s scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the grey feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.

Adam Zagajewski

Trans from the Polish by Clare Cavanaugh

In light of the many recent waves of violence and tragedy that have swept through not only Charlottesville, but the nation as a whole, I find myself drawn to this poem by Zagajewski.  Yes it is dark.  Yes it is bleak.  Yes there is rage at the center of his poem "Try to Praise the Mutilated World" - but there is also hope, I think.

I'm reminded specifically of Tyler Clementi and the others who took their own lives because mankind could not see fit to treat them with the dignity that all human beings deserve.  I am reminded of the two U.Va. students who have been sexually assaulted because of passions which were out of control.  And I wonder, when will we begin to treat one another with decency and respect.  Weren't we all created equal under the unconditional love of whomever created us, whomever breathed that first breath of life into us. 

Sometimes I wonder where we as a society went wrong.  I wonder whether there was anything in particular that we did.  But that can't be it.  But we're certainly responsible for our own actions, and thus, have created the world in which we live.  Would it be too much to ask of ourselves to hold ourselves to some form of a social contract wherein we do unto others as we would have them do unto us?  

As Zagajewski writes "You watched the stylish yachts and ships; / one of them had a long trip ahead of it / while salty oblivion awaited others."  We have watched these terrible things happen and been silent.

We cannot be silent any longer.  We must stand up for what is right, for what is just.  And so ask yourself, what is right, what is just?  

I have an opinion and that is:  we must let our voices be heard and let it be known that we will NOT tolerate this any longer.  Our voices should be saying "Respect the dignity of EVERY human being, no matter their creed, appearance, lifestyle - or anything."  

My heart goes out for those voices that have been silenced by our bigotry and hate.  A testimony of a self was lost in Tyler Clementi's unwarranted suicide: and that is simply a tragedy, a horrific injustice both to and on behalf of the human race.  

And in Zagajewski's own words, in order to praise this mutilated world, we must "Return to the concert where the music flared .../...and the grey feather a thrush lost, / and the gentle light that strays and vanishes / and returns."  

Choose Kindness and Love

Please everyone, listen to these powerful words Ellen has to say.  Violence, intolerance, and prejudiced/discrimination on any grounds, for any reason is simply unacceptable.  We must take a stance against ignorance and hate so that we can create a better world for us all!

Whenever you have thoughts against another person because they're different, think to yourself, how would I feel if someone treated me in a disrespectful manner because of something about who I am? 

Think about it!

A Somewhat Late Welcome Back to School

Dearest Readers,

My apologies that is has taken me such a long time to update this blog.

We are finally back in school here at the University of Virginia and have had just over a full month of classes.  As fall break approaches (starting tomorrow) many of us will be leaving the Grounds for short adventures into the blissful unknown - a place we only get to venture freely on occasion as we are students and typically find ourselves buried under piles of books, papers, journal articles, staplers, half-sharpened pencils, etc.

This year has been an exciting one for Canterbury.  We've a new chaplain, the wonderful Nik Forti, who is very excited about what the group will be doing, what traditions we will maintain, and what new traditions we're bound to create.

There have been many fun activities at each of our Wednesday evening gatherings.  We've celebrated a Eucharist together, written personalized prayers of the people for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and played my very favorite game of all time with Professor Paul Jones of the Religious Studies department.

We call it "Stump the Theologian."

In the coming weeks, we expect visits from our very own Professor Ben Ray who will talk with us about the Salem Witch Trials.  And not shortly thereafter, we'll be heading over the mountain to go apple picking.

For all the alumni of Canterbury, We miss you!  But know that you're off doing wonderfully fabulous things with your lives and your freshly minted degrees from the University.

For newcomers, we would love to meet you. Our group meets every Wednesday at 120 Chancellor Street (just behind Bank of America on the Corner), starting at 5.30pm.

Happy Autumnal Equinox everyone and enjoy this lovely change in the seasons!