Monday Countdown

What does any self respecting mad woman do only thirteen days before her departure to Israel for a year? Why not venture a guess....

a) Go out for the day in the beautiful autumnal weather?

b) Shop her brains out?

c) Pack, worry and fret as the house is becoming dismantled before her very eyes?

d) Drive to the Boston area to visit some friends for the day?

Let's see. If you choose (a) you are only partially right. It is a gorgeous day filled with the promise of renewal. If you happened to choose (b) you are totally off base, go back to go and DO NOT collect. If you chose (c) well, we'll see, perhaps I'll pack a box or two this evening. If you chose (d)...ding, ding, ding, ding. You are correct!

I spent the day in Newton, MA which is right outside of Boston. Andover Newton Theological School is in Newton Centre and I took a drive up to see my old stompin' grounds, have lunch with a friend and then coffee with another. This was the first time that I had gone back since graduation in 2002 and it was great to drive up on the hill - used to be called Institution Hill, and to see the campus with different, wiser eyes. Not a whole lot has changed but in many respects a lot has changed. There is a new chapel, Wilson Chapel, that has been opened now for only a few months. It's bigger, more light, and very serene. Hopefully it will be a sacred place for generations of seminarians to come.

The condo's that were so hotly contested by the envirofreaks back in the day have been built on the backside of the hill. I wasn't one of them, hey progress is progress, but, admittedly, I did miss seeing the mysterious wooded area that always seemed a little unkempt except for a rusting barbecue pit or two. I felt as if the "build it bigger, build it better" mantra of modernity had invaded my haven of theological bliss.

But there is good, no great, news.

After so many, almost 200 to be exact, years of being the only educational institution on the hill, ANTS now shares the hill with Hebrew College. HC had just opened it's door when I graduated. It sounds like there is some very good interfaith dialogue happening. Who knows, maybe they will be the first two religious institutions that will produce reverends and rabbis respectively, as a model for healthy understanding of tradition and theology, and for non threatening and respectful dialogue between Jews and Christians. Mazel Tov. Blessings.

So, what did you do today?

Three down, One to Go