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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Just a little bit

"Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
Give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my love to you
There's so much that we need to share
So send a smile and show you care

I'll give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my life for you
So give a little bit
Give a little bit of your time to me
See the man with the lonely eyes
Take his hand, you'll be surprised

Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
I'll give a little bit of my life for you
Now's the time that we need to share
So find yourself, we're on our way back home

Going home
Don't you need to feel at home?
Oh yeah, we gotta sing"
Supertramp- Give a Little Bit

I always enjoyed the "secular music" worship services we would try in college. They gave me a chance to reflect on faith through music outside of the normal confines of the bible. I originally posted these lyrics because I liked the first few lines as a request to be patient with me as I prepare a good post. I have been going through several rounds of thought and not been able to put any down that make much sense. So view this as one of my interludes.

The lyrics actually touch a lot deeper than I thought at first. It could almost be mistaken for a church song really. I don't know the original intent of the artists (part of what makes these experiments work for me) but I do know that they are talking about love, and caring, and two way streets, and seeing the hope and sadness in others, and the way being in communion with others can make us all feel better. And of course it touches on the subject of home. Whether that is our final home at the end of life's journey, or the "home is where the heart is," or most probably the home where we grew up that smells like spaghetti and old books where we are most comfortable. You could probably draw meaning and insight from all three.

One thing that is amazing about being so far from home is how much you realize it means to you, how much it shaped you, and how much value it can hold in your life and building a community. We grew up in a warm home, with loving parents, and a variety of friends and family that would share meals together on Sundays. That kind of home, I am learning, is harder to find these days, which makes me so much more grateful for those people who helped shape mine, namely my parents. I love you guys. A subject that has come up a lot around here is community and home and what that means or how you can nurture it. I have become increasingly aware of the people and places that I think of as home.

I have heard from some great friends since I started this journey and hope to continue hearing from them. It has been a blessing to know that people are following this journey through my blog. They have brought up questions, and encouraged my growth. I hope to address some of these and open some avenues for future discussion. Most notably I want to give a shout out to my long lost friend Chris Bailey in the cold stark library in Chicago, and Daniel Brown in Maryland as he learns how to fix big machines. I hope everyone is well and I look forward to sharing food with you someday. Peace and love.


Mike