So dear readers we’ve made it back home to Kensington, Philadelphia with a grand total of 3.5 terabytes of footage. So many amazing stories over these past 11,000 miles and we have one more to tell.
The last event from Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s Jesus For President book tour is this evening in Philadelphia at:
We were really fortunate to meet good folks here who were clearly wrestling with the ideas Chris & Shane present in their book. They’d mentioned over the pot luck dinner it had been a close call in the church members’ vote as to whether or not they would allow the Jesus For President book tour to stop here. It seemed quite clear to me the folks who came out for the event in Richmond left with a lot to think over about where their allegiance lies. Ovation after ovation meant either quite the southern hospitality or that they’re on board with this movement. Probably a healthy dose of both.
Raleigh, what a great town. I got to witness a brilliant moment where two separate movements - the Jesus For President tour (7pm) and the opening of the North Carolina office for Barack Obama for president (6:30pm) were literally next door to each other. Both were very respectful of the other, with folks from both sides talking and generally being friendly. Talk about bringing faith and politics face to face!
I had the chance to interview a chaplain who came for the Obama campaign and she stopped by the J4P event. We must have talked for 30 minutes outside the event & it was great to hear yet another great perspective on how these important topics come together in everyday life.
Special thanks: We were so lucky to get to catch up with good friends Carter & Linda Crain who gave us a bed to sleep on, took us to a fantastic Mongolian Barbeque in Raleigh and re-energized us after long days on the road!
Well, after meeting up with Deanna and Dan in Atlanta, we drove down to Orlando, FL for the J4P event there…and it was massive. Thousands of people gathered at the Discovery Church to hear Chris & Shane tell their story. I have to tell you it was certainly the most fashionably dressed group of any on the tour, and I’ve pretty much been wearing the same cargo shorts for the last 5 weeks. Looks like they dug the story, as they were clearly moved by the message and eager to share their own stories with Chris and Shane after the event.
I’m most excited that my dear friends Zack and Andrea McKinley drove up to visit us and hang out. Zack has been a part of The Simple Way story years before there was an organization called The Simple Way, as he was a part of the group of us back at Eastern who came across the amazing moms and kids of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union who’d taken over the abandoned St. Edwards Roman Catholic church to get out of the cold, then subsequently arrested by the police on behalf of the church (and tried to have their kids removed). Anywhoo, important times and I’m so glad they got to visit. Here’s a shot of Zack & I back in the day while studying ethnomusicology in Cuba.
Dan and I pulled into the Atlanta venue, Atlanta Community Fellowship with moments to spare before the 7 pm show. We were sweating “like it was our job” (a popular saying among the FF team…oh yes, we are a team. Embroidered, tear away sweatsuits are coming!) Dashing into the church which was quickly filling with gear strapped to his back Dan quickly went about placing tripods in pews before folks could stake their claim. I recall a young excited couple leaning over the pew to ask us if they were allowed to sit in the second row. They wondered if someone more important than them was coming and if they should move. Who could be more important than you?! You coming to join community to listen and learn and question and make new the idea of kingdom. Sweat pouring off me I told him he was fine right where he was.
The church filled up and the overflow became the grassy courtyard next door with a speaker set in the corner. As the sun, the temperature and the humidity dropped what a wonderful evening to spend setting on the lawn of a little church building listening to old words with new ears.
Jamie and I parted with Dan and Dee to head down to Austin with our
faithful photographer/driver Sam Lamb. D & D were off to New Orleans
then Atlanta where we will reunite.
Jamie spoke at a session during the Netroots Nation conference, a gathering
of progressive bloggers. He, along with Zack Exley, dialogued with
folks about faith and politics. Jamie pretty much talked my ear off about how much he enjoyed the conference and was encouraged by Zack and the excellent panel discussion & people excited about this movement
We also had some great conversations at the GQ party we happened to get invited to the night before (from
GQ parties to camping with mennonites - really?). Well, back in the
saddle.
New Orleans. What a city! I-10 glides above the bayou, a highway risen up from the murky waters. Tree lined streets sprouting mardi-gras beads. Shot-gun houses with six-foot shutters, and restaurant dining in the back of pick-up trucks. This is how New Orleans greeted me and I loved it and it loved me back with the first bite of seafood bouillabaisse from jacques imo’s. Many thanks to our host, Erin McQuade
who not only housed us in the abode of the famous artist Thomas Mann but introduced us to Michael Wong,
a man choosing to move into the margins of emipire in Central City and nourish and learn from the roots of an old and wise community.
So we hit Dallas. Some southern hospitality and pool time was nice!
Since we drove through the night to get there, we had a little extra
time to do some catch up on the film. This was mostly organizing the
piles of footage that we have accumulated and telling stories.
We were hoping to run into one of the George Bush’s but to no avail.
Maybe next time.
Lubbock or leave it! Well we loved it and left it the same day. It was a good trip into to Texas! I found that Lubbock is known for it’s amazing fruit pizza. After the show we hit the road. The scenery out our windows starts to flatten out and the wheels on the pickup trucks starts to grow.
The film crew in edit mode on location
At this point we are working feverishly to get all these amazing stories along the way as our trip comes to a close. We have heard from so many beautiful people! Our friend Sam (the) Lamb has joined forces with us and is taking beautiful stills to add another lens in the telling of this tale. The hardest part for us going to be getting all of this amazing material into 90 minutes. Keep us posted about local independent theaters that we could screen the movie at in your town (contact Nicole Morrison at screenings@theordinaryradicals.com).
On our way out of Lubbock and down to Dallas, we pulled over at a rest stop. The lights outside the bathrooms had attracted, what appeared to be, every insect known to mankind. What is more, inside the ladies room (don’t ask how I know this) was the largest megabeatlasaurus EVER!! I shoed it out of there with the top of a trash can. I am pretty sure it could have taken me. I guess everything is bigger in Texas.
The ATL.
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