What Draws Me to This Course by Brent Fernandez

I arrived last night at Bethlehem Farm, a place I call home even though I haven't lived here for almost 4 years. I call it home for many reasons: the connection to the land, the simplicity of life, the fact that I feel myself here, and I can be myself. It is also great to be in a place where you are surrounded by like-minded folks who want to transform the world, or part of it, and also their lives. 

Andi and Lauren are two of these folks. Both went to Creighton University and both have a passion for life and justice and love! It energizes me to be around such people. It also helps that they are 10 yrs younger than me and have a lot more energy. 

Some of us went to a dance and a "pie walk" last night. I struck up a conversation with Lauren. Since they went to Creighton, I mentioned Kate Linden to Lauren to see if she knew her. She flipped out when she found out that Kate was my first college friend and still a great friend to this day. Kate had mentored Lauren through college and helped her find her path. It's great to be surrounded by great people. It's great to be interconnected in this web of life with great people. I am the luckiest guy on earth... This is how I feel when I think about my friends. 

Last night while we did the pie dishes, Andi asked if I knew Fr. John Kavanaugh at SLU. I mentioned that I took a class with him and how amazing of a man he was. Andi and Lauren had both read Following Christ In a Consumer Society and were very excited to talk about him. 

We continued to play our game of "Connect the Jesuit dots," which lead to them asking if I knew Mark Chmiel and if I had ever read The Book of Mev. 

"As a matter of fact, yes! And I'm re-reading it NOW... and participating in a writing class with Mark right now." 

We spent the next 30 minutes discussing the book, how it influenced us, how we want love and life full, how we want to see the world, listen to the cry of the poor, but still smile and dance and sing. 

This is what draws me to this course. The fact that I knew these women for 3 hours and we started talking about this book and there was a connection. I felt an immediate trust. I found some comrades. This book does this... It connects people, it connects souls, and so I look forward to reading it and writing and sharing. 

This course gives me an excuse to read The Book of Mev_ again... Like I needed one.