December 1999

A Comment on Kanuga

From our small town in rural Georgia, nine of us came to Kanuga. We came, some of us healthy, some not. We came, some of us Episcopalians, some not. We came, some of us from the Christian faith, some not. We came, some of us with canes and wheelchairs, some not. We came, all of us, to retreat. We came because we needed to be there. We came, perhaps, because we were called to be there.

I enjoy all that the retreat offers. All aspects are important to me. I love the meditations, the services, the dialogue, the music, the lake, the sharing, and yes, even the talent show. In our group of nine, some attended the meditations and services, some didn’t. I would not be truthful if I said I didn’t wish everyone in our group wanted to participate fully in all aspects of the retreat. But, should I have expected the one person in our group of the Muslim faith to participate in all components? Should I have asked her not to come to the retreat at all, even though her loving, accepting, and beautiful nature added tremendous value to our group? … The bond formed by our group during that weekend will sustain and carry us for a very long time. It was a holy time. No matter how we each individually chose to “retreat,” it all came together in a divine way.