Highlights

One morning, as I was rushing to a meeting, I grabbed for a pen.  Having got the wrong one, I then could not fit the original pen into my tea tin/pen cup.  I didn't give it much thought until after the meeting when I decided to purge the non-working pens.  On examining the contents I found:

• one blinking bike light
• one pencil
• 7 Sharpies, of differing colors and tip size 
• 3 blue pens
• 2 red pens
• 21 black pens
• 3 paperclips
• 1 rubber band
• 4 highlighters, 3 of which are orange
• post-it page markers
• one flattened souvenir penny from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago

And only two "non-working" pens.  Just another day, right?  Unfortunately I choose to be philosophical about many small things, and then think to blog about them afterwards.  And then some poor person reads my small musings. (this means you)  

First, I thought, what in the world do I need with 21 black pens?  And where did they all come from?  Only a few of them would be ones which I would bought myself.  They must have come from somewhere-- been a marker of where I have been and which and where I have stolen.  I sometimes buy pens, most times I guess I walk away with them, and then there is the odd time where I purposefully pocket them.  I kind of think pens should be common property, their ownership ought to be more fluid.  If ever we were to actualize the Acts practice of "sharing all things in common," I suggest we start with pens.

Second curious thing, why do I need 4 highlighters?  It hit me then.  Grad students have highlighters.  Lots of them.  Everywhere.  Handy for their hours spent reading and studying-- when they find a gem (at least, when I do) I want to tag it as wise, noteworthy, questionable or difficult. 

And now what I am to do?  I have, at my "job" a pen jar suited for a grad student, and not a hard-working beneficial member of a working church community.  Why do I need so many highlighters?

After several days of pondering this, I came to a conclusion.  I do still need highlighters, but of a different kind.  My primary job right now is listening to stories, hearing how people's faith has been formed, and as they expound on their understanding of themselves and their community.  And sometimes for that I need a highlighter, but one that works on the human heart.  What connects one story to another, this comment to the one made twenty minutes before.  A highlighter which notices particularities and glimpses of lived grace-- highlighters which point to God's Spirit at work.

Also, I am still a student.  And I will always be a student.  There is always more to learn, and only some of it is on a printed page.  Most of the wisdom to be learned, is written on the human heart.