Hi everyone,

We started our community weekend this weekend.  This is a huge celebration and gathering that takes place today and tomorrow.  The theme this year is "My life together".  It is a wonderful theme that comes from a saying by one of the core members from downtown L'Arche Toronto. It might not sound like proper English, but it makes us stop and take a look  at the phrase.

So often the world tries to pull us into the space of just "ourselves".  We think about ourselves, our needs, our wants, our desires.  The challenge is how we allow ourselves to pulled together to see ourselves in the midst of the larger world.

Here at L'Arche, we bring our stories, our dreams our desires, our needs.  These are as varied as the number of people that gather.  But we also bring together many cultures, faith backgrounds, personalities.  It is in the midst of these differences that we begin to blend together to see the common story we live but in different ways.  We see beyond the race, orientation, personality as Jean Vanier says "to the level of the heart where God lives and loves".  It is in these differences that we are stronger, more united.

We breakdown the barriers, preconcieved notions, histories to see one another for who we are.  Some thought when I arrived "great, a priest..so much for fun when he is around".  Some have chosen to see beyond that, to see my story and the questions I live and struggle with.  In the same way, I look beyond the German history and see a wondrous group of young people who are compassionate and loving.  I have been able to look beyond disabilities in core members to see stories of great beauty and goodness. I could continue with examples but hopefully you see the point.

It is about my life together, my story of struggle and hope and dreams.  It is about connecting to others for a sharing of a common story and encouraging one another and living together.  I am grateful for this space at L'Arche Daybreak to be present to my own story. As Wendy from Dayspring told me, it is about bringing our bodies to this space and allowing God to do the rest.  Continue to keep me in your prayers.  Until net time.

Jeff