Going Home

In 2 days, I'll be flying home to California.  Sunshine awaits!

When I left Los Angeles in August, I knew that subsequent trips back home would present challenges.  Yale Divinity School was going to solidify opinions that had lay below the surface, and I was going to become more vocal about things.  I hope my LA friends know that just because I never objected to some of their opinions didn't mean that I agreed.

Most of my young adult life, my friends have roughly been divided into two categories:  conservative Christians (the definition of "conservative" covers many different things, which I won't get into here) and liberal individuals who (regardless of whether they had been raised in any faith) were not religious.  I got along fine with both groups because I resonated with values from each "side" and saw truth in statements made from both sides; but I was able to keep my social lives separate from one another.

I knew that, coming to YDS, I would encounter lots of "liberal" Christians, and that was part of the appeal.  (I'm just glad I didn't say that to the tons of people who instilled "warnings" in me when I informed them I'd be studying religion at an Ivy League.)  I'd already been "trained by the best" conservatives*; I had long since strayed from the polemical nature of social activism and had instead immersed myself in the helping profession, where individual lives needed compassion and practical assistance, regardless of political or religious beliefs; now, as I headed back to school, it was time to engage with and openly listen to other voices.  So here I am, and here I thrive, by the grace of God and the warmth and support of friends I've made.  My first semester hasn't been easy, but it's been exactly what I've needed and craved.

As for Going Home?  Well, first I have to finish a paper and turn it in.  And once I get home, I've got to start another paper and turn that in.  And then we'll see how I navigate conversations with familiar faces.

I've been reflecting a lot lately: Back in college, I'd post more "conservative" articles and opinions on Facebook, and all my liberal friends would chime in with objections.  These days, I've been getting a lot of feedback regarding my "Black Lives Matter" (and related) pictures and posts.  Seems that no matter which side I'm on, I'll have friends who disagree with me, because my friends are not limited to one side, and that's the beauty--and the challenge--of life.


*As proof (now I'm sounding like Paul, when he claims to be the Jew's Jew in legitimizing his conversion to Christianity, ain't I?): I was homeschooled for 8 years; attended camps on Christian apologetics and conservative political ideas; was very active in a political club in college; wrote letters to the editor for the school newspaper; and had parents who were sporadically politically active regarding Conservative issues--they've since then become more moderate.