The Weekend

(I just finished typing this, and I feel better. That said, I know I'm not perfect, nor is what I say. I'm still posting it, though.)

I think they wanted me to go to the UMC conference on HIV/AIDS because I just got back from South Africa, and I still wear my little beaded AIDS bracelet around my wrist.
So, I went. I was glad for the chance to drive with a favorite professor, glad for a chance to get to hang out with an energetic 4-yr-old, glad to get to know two other travelers a bit better.

We got there. No hitch. Got into the room--no problem. Got to the registration desk...and now it gets a bit tricky. Sheila and I only had one registration between us. We figured we'd swap child care help, so we only really needed one name tag. I asked if they wanted me to register anyway. The woman running the gig, clearly stressed, opened up a verbal can of whoop ass. Negative, I thought to myself. That's okay. I'm still allowed to go to the big group things.

Fast forward. Dinner time. Sheila and I aren't too hungry. We'll share a plate.
Not without a nametag. She wasn't allowed in without a nametag. Not even if we're sharing. Sharing is what we tell our children to do--adults, apparently, don't share.

So, that was the conference. I did get into dinner that night, and even got my own chair and salad because there was too much food for the "over-crowded, standing room only" dining room.

I think the thing that got to me was that people stood up crying the first day, talking about how the practice of hospitality is so important, especially when it comes to HIV ministry. Heck, I was even surprised as some brought up the reconciling movement, and one man even said that hospitality even extends to the LGBT community. Yet here we were, the body of Christ, not even practicing hospitality within the doors of our own conference! I mean, if you want my honest opinion, I'll tell you that I think we are light years away from being able to even grasp the concept of hospitality within the confines of many churches.
But I didn't need a conference to tell me that when there are friendly reminders like paragraph 304.3.

Ah, I digress...

Anyway, I am not sure where I'm going with this except to say that if we cannot practice things among ourselves--love, acceptance, hospitality, sharing--then we shouldn't kid ourselves into thinking that we can do better in different situations.

I know I'm rambling a bit, and I no doubt will hear from a wiser being about how it is harder to show compassion and care among the people we love most, etc.

I have some polity to read and some sandwiches to make before parking lot camping on Friday. I'll stop typing now...