At times, the Awakening program seems a bit like college. We had a project inspired by the book we’ve been reading, Exiles, to make up a five-year plan as if we were to move to a city foreign to us. So, here’s my exilic life for the next five years:
YEAR ONE
I’ve been with the bank for 3 years now, and love that we are like a family. I’ve always enjoyed the ease of making friends with my customers as well. My bank just transferred me to a branch in New York City. I just moved into a two bedroom apartment in the middle of Greenwich Village. It’s really cute and even has rooftop access. I like the fact that it’s big enough to have people over on a regular basis. I definitely can’t afford to live here on my own, so I’m going to start looking for a roommate. I’ve been scoping out local coffee joints, clubs, bars, comedy clubs, and theatres trying to feel out the vibe of the community. It feels like a semi-young town, where the average age is about 30, at least in the spots that I’ve found myself in. I am beginning to get to know people in the community as well as people in my building. There is a real Bohemian, artistic flare to the Village. They are very much inspired by poetry, artistry, theatre, and music. I decided not to bring my car here because there is no real need for it. I can walk everywhere in town since it’s only about 1.5 sq miles in area. I can always take a cab or other public transport if I need to go anywhere farther. I think that’s what everyone else does anyway. The city is extremely dense with people. Everything stacks upward. The population of Greenwich is about 2000. That’s a lot living in a small area!
A co-worker of mine was looking for a place to live, so it worked out perfectly that she move in with me.
YEAR TWO
For the past six months, I’ve been going to a young revolutionary church that meets on Sunday nights in the basement of an old building. It’s called the Gathering. People generally find out about it by word of mouth and by inviting people to become a part of it. Apparently, a lot of people know about it in the area because they are doing such great things in the community. I am involved in an all girls home group as part of the Gathering, and we meet once a week to share a meal and share life together. I like that I’ve found like-minded people around my age to do church with. I started inviting church people as well as my coworkers, and people in my building over to my house on Thursday nights. There are two gay couples in my building that my church friends have been great about getting to know and not being judgmental. We are all learning about how to show Christ through our love and actions. On Thursdays, we usually end the evening with a glass of wine on the rooftop. It has a great lookout. I’ve been thinking how great a place this would be to turn it into some sort of a hang out with live music and snacks and such. I’m talking to the superintendent about painting and decorating the roof; I’d have to get his approval since it’s public property. I hope he’ll go for it, since it’s for the betterment of our apartment!
Six months later
I’ve really found my creativity deep down in my soul that I never knew was there. When the whistle blows five o’clock, I pick up my paintbrush and get to work. The roof of my apartment building is almost completely covered in poetry and murals. I enlisted the artistry of my neighbors and also some people I’ve met from working at the bank. The people in my building loved my original idea and we’ve been working hard to make it our own ever since. I’ve found that this space of ours is so scared because all of our ideas, philosophies, and dreams cover the walls and floors. Not too many people know about our “hang out” spot, but they will. The people in my building and I have been working hard to invite lots of people up there for drinks and whatever. I think it will eventually bring in a lot of traffic just because it’s so different. Also, my home group has started meeting on the rooftop to eat together midweek. I bought a big hot water thermos for coffee and hot chocolate. During the summer months, though, I’ll try to keep lemonade on the roof; all at no charge to anyone of course.
YEAR THREE
I became really good friends with a guy from the Gathering after working together on a project. He plays guitar really well, and he and his friends get together and jam every once in a while. I asked him if he’d come and play on a Friday night one week on the rooftop and people really loved it. He and his friends play some fun 70s and 80s hits that everyone knows the words to. When there isn’t music playing, there is a communal stereo system where anyone can pop in a CD of their choice to give it a homey personalized feel. Because we all want to be able to eat together, word has gotten around fast to bring snacks when you come to the rooftop and people are more than willing.
I wanted to bring more flare to the rooftop experiment, which by the way has lovingly become its name. In order to bring a bit more excitement, I asked if some of my friends and building mates would make some funky art to display on the roof. We have everything from chickens made from clothespins to a handmade rug to an all fruit wall hanging. It seems like every month the rooftop gains more and more excitement and exposure. The only thing that’s been difficult is standing on the roof at nights during the winter. We are still trying to perfect it. We go through a lot more coffee on those nights, are more bundled, and go in a bit earlier, but still have a good time because it’s our place of communion.
Oh, and my roommate is moving out in a few months because I’m getting married!
YEAR FOUR
I couldn’t love my life more. My husband and I are doing “ministry” together with our rooftop experiment as well as being on leadership at the Gathering. I can’t believe how many people come on Friday and Saturday nights to the roof. So many local artists have asked to play music. We’ve also implemented a poetry reading two times a month, and even a mock theatre. The Gathering has been financially supporting the rooftop ministry for two years now. It doesn’t require a ton of money, but they are happy to help us out. They can see the fruits of this ministry. My neighbors and many others that regularly come to the rooftop have attended the Gathering every once in a while. They like the church setting, but like the small community setting a lot more. Some of the women have started coming to my home group and meeting other Christian women, and some of the guys have been able to come to my husband’s home group which meets at the coffee shop a few blocks from our apartment.
YEAR FIVE
The rooftop experiment including Friday and Saturday music nights is still going strong. New people get really excited and love the vibe. I want to bring this sense of community out of our little rooftop and into the whole of Greenwich Village. Ever since I moved here I felt the “us” and “them” mentality that the Village tends to have. They are so caught up in sharing the community mentality within themselves that they forget there is a whole world out there to care for. I’m planning on an every Saturday afternoon outreach into downtown NYC. I’m not sure exactly what it will look like or entail, but I know that people need to know they are important to somebody. I’d like to show my friends from work and the rooftop experiment how to love like Christ loved- in tangible ways.
