Dear Kaleid Ladies,
Where do you live? Do you live in your head…in your imagination or your to do list or your mental figuring? Do you live in your emotions…in your fear or contentment or frustration? Do you live in your body…in your deep breaths, your sleepiness or your energy?
Wherever you “live,” you also live in your city. You live here. This is where you experience your relationships, your adventures, your errands, your worship, your community, your rhythms.
It’s a fascinating thing to ponder that in scripture, the first story of human communion with God happens in a garden and the final story of human communion with God takes place in a city. We always meet God in our places.
Psalm 48 tells about God’s story in Israel. God lives out that story in their city: Zion. The psalmist encourages the people to walk about Zion and consider all her buildings and her contours so that they can tell God’s story to the next generation. When we know our city, when we know it as having a story, we can more easily see and share God’s story of life in the world with those around us, including our kids.
And so today, we offer you three things:
First, this version of “Walk about Zion” by Wintley Phipps. It’s an upbeat spiritual that makes us want to get out and enjoy the views of God’s life in our city in a hopeful, expectant way. Because God is on the move. There is so much hope.
Second, an invitation to ride bikes with Kaleid and listen to Atlanta’s stories with a tour guide from Bicycle Tours of Atlanta. We would love to have you join us on October 1! Learn more and register here.
Finally, we offer you this delightful children’s poem by Andrew Fusek Peters that invites us to playfully consider our city as almost alive. Take a minute to picture the whimsical, personified city. We hope it makes you smile and that it helps you to see your city differently today.
Last Night, I Saw The City Breathing
Last night, I saw the City breathing
Great gusts of people,
Rushing in and
Puffing out
Of Station’s singing mouths
Last night, I saw the City laughing,
Take-Aways got the giggles,
Cinemas split their sides,
And Living Rooms completely creased themselves!
Last night, I saw the City dancing.
Shadows were cheek to cheek with brick walls.
Trains wiggled their hips all over the place,
And the trees
In the breeze,
Put on a show for an audience of windows!
Last night, I saw the City starving,
Snaking Avenue smacked her lips
And swallowed seven roundabouts!
Fat office blocks got stuffed with light
And gloated over empty parking lots.
Last night, I saw the City crying.
Cracked windows poured like falling stars
And the streets were paved with mirrors.
Last night, I saw the City sleeping
Roads Night-dreamed,
Street Lamps quietly boasted,
‘When I grow up, I’m going to be a star!’
And the Wind,
Like a cat,
Snoozed in the nooks of roofs.
Thanks for being a curious and hopeful group of women!
Gratefully,
The Kaleid Team
P.S. Kaleid’s contemplative circles are kicking off! We’d love to have you for our virtual contemplative mornings, Dwell, or for our monthly in-person Embracing Shifts group! Oh, and the Dear White Peacemakers book club is on Sunday…there’s still time to register and join us for dinner and discussion.
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