A Positively Poetic Priest

For the first time in my life I have been given land to care for.  Its not a big backyard, and I think at one point in the last fifty years it was a playground. Indeed, I think it has been many things in its lifetime.  Before Europeans arrived, this land belonged to the Lenni-Lenape.  Over the years as Morristown grew, someone built a house on this land, which at some point was bought by St. Peter's.  I hope as I live here, I will be able to fill in this sparse history with more details, as I fill in this yard with love and plants.  Right now, with the current freeze, it is hibernating. Waiting to come alive again. 

Nature or nurture is a question Only worth asking given its fallacy Dichotomies are lies in a gradient of colors Nature and nurture work together A melody that makes good use of dissonance Within its intricate staves are parts Unheard by human ears at decibels Not understood by time's conniving fingers Let us soak in nature's nurturing The salt, herbs, bacterias, aculturing weathers That bind us to our place as generations Make their home in the grasp of befriending land

I recently wrote an article for the Pilgrim, a newsletter for friends of St. George's College in Jerusalem for those in Australia, New Zealand, and the other Oceanic Islands. It is a reflection on my experience of the land of Israel, having grown up learning about it, wanting to visit and then getting to see it for the first time in my life. If you're interested, the article is here .