Dear Inner Circle,
This time next week, some of the Wayside community will walk the Larapinta Trail. I’m not sure what the collective noun for a group of this community would be, but it should be a mash up of gratitude, grief, healing and joy. We all bring a measure of these elements within us as we prepare for our shared journey. As we connect with the land, its story and people, falling asleep under a blanket of stars will be a significant part of our pilgrimage.
We’ll be walking 60 kilometers, one for each year of Wayside’s existence. Could there be a better way to mark our 60th anniversary than to get back to the heart of our nation, to listen deeply as we collectively ‘detect rather than invent our mission in life’?
Wayside’s relationship with the Aboriginal community has been a vital part of who we are, and in the second half of the year, we are excited to have worked with local elders to engage in a total renovation and redesign of Wayside’s dedicated Mobspace. I look forward to sharing updates with you as it comes together.
I’m excited to feel the rhythms of nature out in the desert. But then I’m reminded that those rhythms are always in motion here too in the heart of the city. From holding a baby, just beginning her life, to gently caressing someone’s hand as they took their last breath, from joining two people in marriage who had long ago given up on love, to watching the face of someone light up when they first move into their own place supported by one of our amazing frontline team members, our work is full of all life has to offer. As a member of our newly formed Men’s Group joked, “This joint really is ‘from womb to tomb, and everything in between!’” These are all the collective fruits of love, from the care our volunteers extend to the support that visitors give each other, every moment is infused with immense possibility and potential. When people ask what keeps us all going, the only possible answer can be this world only gets better through our participation in it.
For next week’s Inner Circle while I’m journeying home from the Larapinta Trail, we have a special surprise: an Inner Circle from former Wayside Chapel CEO, the Rev Graham Long. Longtime readers will know that Graham began the tradition of a regular ‘note’ to chapel members in 2004 which grew into the forum it is today. So please enjoy next week’s note from Graham, and if any old friends would like to drop him a line back, I’ll make sure he sees it.
Thank you for being part of our Inner Circle,
Jon
Rev. Jon Owen
CEO & Pastor
Wayside Chapel
