Loving your neghbour

Yesterday, Thursday May 29th I was at the home of Ron and Charlotte Thompson in south Sarasota for another celebration of my birthday. Wowee!

Ron and Charlotte are new friends, I met them two years ago via an introduction from my St. James’s, Cambridge Secretary and friend, Judy Beers.

They asked me to bring Ben which I was glad to do, and they were cool when I asked if I could also bring my neighbour Dave.

What a wonderful evening. We enjoyed good food - very good food - and we talked and laughed until we were silly.

Just a few minutes ago today (Friday May 30th), I stepped out to enjoy the lovely evening warmth.

There was Syd. She is a neighbour, and an utter inspiration. She has A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and “should be dead by now”. She comes out in her electric wheelchair, with her dog “Sparky”, and to see her is to glimpse hope. To talk with her is to see hope incarnate.

“Little Betty” came wandering down with her dog “Cocoa”. (We call her “Little Betty” to distinguish her from another Betty who lives opposite me). Little Betty is the most genuine and un-complicated of my neighbours. She “got my number”, by intuition. We chatted a few weeks ago, and it was only then that I discovered that she is a regular volunteer at the local Food Bank.

Sometimes it is easier to love my neighbours more than I love myself. What a blessing!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not remember the words “ar
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were able to get together a few
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur
Read more