Good To Be Home

Just returned from a two week teaching stint in New York City. I was privileged to be able to teach a Winterim course on healing for New York Theological Seminary. The course met nightly at the historic Riverside Church. I spent a good bit of the time during the day at the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary. New York is a great city, of course, but I find that I enjoy traveling much more when I'm with my family. Having two weeks to see New York as New Yorkers see it was a great experience, however: riding the subway to work everyday, braving the winter elements, drinking coffee at Starbucks. I enjoyed a Sunday morning service at Times Square Church and a MLK Memorial at Riverside (with MLK III, James Forbes and John Edwards) But I did do some tourist stuff, some new, some a repeat of what I've done before. And I enjoyed some great food: Chinese in Chinatown, Italian in Little Italy, and thanks to the hospitality of one of my students, a pastor from Harlem, Soul Food at Sylvia's in Harlem! The tourist highlight was visiting an exhibit on Spanish art at the Guggenheim: El Greco to Picasso. I found myself quite attracted to El Greco's moody, dark work, especially the religious art.

But, it's true, there's no place like home. And for me, home is not a state, as I've lived in quite a few of those. Home is where my family is. It was wonderful to be hugged, kissed and greeted by Corky, Leslie and Little Missy!