Fall is settling gently around us like a quilt, or like the crimson and gold leaves drifting from the trees. There is a maple on the corner that looks as if it's on fire. I took the old bike in the garage out for a ride this morning. The air felt thick and almost warm and the sky hung heavy with clouds.
It's just a few blocks from Westminster House to the Spokane river. I rode down to the water and I stopped and stood awhile staring at the water and listening to the ripples lapping the shore. Someone had built a bonfire there by the water's edge and the ring of rocks sat, cold and abandoned, cradling the charred remains of love letters. I wonder who wrote those letters and why they burned them.
My life here is slowly arranging itself. I'm learning my way around Spokane. I'm getting to know my housemates. I'm finding a few piano students. I'm beginning to feel a part of this community.
My housemates and I have Bible study together two mornings a week. We've begun reading the book of Nehemiah. This book recounts how the prophet Nehemiah organized and led the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, years after they'd been torn down by invaders. We discuss how we can apply what we're reading to what we're doing here in West Central Spokane. We're not literally rebuilding a wall. We're working to build community in this place.
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