Questioning the Medium

I've been away from blogging for the past few weeks, owing to a combination of circumstance and circumspection. Extensive travel during the month of June for a variety of events– a Jesuit gathering and priestly ordinations in New York, a management workshop in New Orleans, an Ignatian spirituality conference in Baltimore– brought a rich array of experiences to savor, information to absorb and interpret, and conversations and company to share with Jesuits and laypeople alike. These weeks blessed me with an abundance of material for my prayer, my reflection, my journaling, and some letters that I've not yet written. They also occupied my time with pursuits far more fulfilling, delightful, and stress-free than the shorter intervals that I occasionally snagged for the purpose of keeping up with work e-mails, most of which have dealt with a conference that my office is hosting next week.

Jackson Square and Cathedral of St. Louis
New Orleans LA

While in New Orleans three weeks ago, I took an evening stroll through Jackson Square, one of many picturesque locales in this fine city that blends a sense of history, a contemporary funkiness, and a vibrant cultural flair that escapes description while being undeniably tangible. Nightfall brings an odd paradox to this popular space: fortune-tellers setting up shop directly in front of the Catholic cathedral. While I neither engaged them in conversation nor consulted their services, I took their presence as a reminder that people seek meaning (and advice that they can consider trustworthy) from a variety of sources. The same can be said for the interpretation of signs and events; some read the news, some read palms, some read the Bible, and so on. Under a quiet sky of patchy clouds eerily lit by the Crescent City's urban glow, in the slightly uneasy embrace of the Gulf Coast's humid warmth, I not only sought the continuation of my life's dialogue with God's presence and will, but also mused anew upon the manners in which I communicate my thoughts, discern my choices, pursue my ideas, and convey the gifts and graces that I've been given to give in turn.

Audubon Park
New Orleans LA

Consequently, I've been debating the merits of this particular blog as one of many methods I use to carry out the practices I've listed above. Moreover, especially in the context of rich fraternal, intellectual, and spiritual relationships renewed or kindled through personal interactions and face-to-face conversations during my June travels, I've been questioning the ability of this blog to provide an adequate approximation thereof. A good friend of mine– from whom I received a four-page, handwritten letter earlier this week– recently announced her blog's finale after a few years of wonderful, thought-provoking, richly rendered posts. Such a decision is by no means imminent with respect to this blog of mine, though I am considering that possibility (among other options with respect to adapting and/or altering my pattern of posting and range of content) with some seriousness.

Garden District shops
New Orleans LA

I doubt that the fortune-tellers in Jackson Square would have had much to say about such deliberation. There are certainly far weightier matters to address in my prayer. Yet discerning the unfolding steps along my path, and ensuring that I appropriately and fruitfully share the experiences and gifts lived and shared along the way, remains an important concern. In lieu of easy answers, I only ask good company and wise insight to guide my questioning, and to share in my expression of whatever conclusions I reach.