I'm not sure whether it's the Phillies late inning tight rope walking or all the junk food I ate last night with the guys, but I'm definitely working on some serious heartburn right now. Pedro just now hit a homer and so that relieves some of my stress. What a great name. That was beautiful. Today marked the closure of another chapter in my life, as I watched the final episode of the Wire. I suppose it's rather appropriate that I finish up my favorite show, depicting the dichotomy of city life and the brutal realities about human nature. These turths are exposed when we are stretched and stripped of our comfort and security which often serves to mask our rawness and vulnerability. As the music of the Blind Boys softly entered the shot and signaled the fade to the final credits, it left me with a bunch of questions that extended far beyond the fictitious nature of the show and into my experiences in my first tenure in West Philadelphia. Several nights this week I've been unable to sleep, just questioning my decision and the weight of all the relationships that I have in this community and the energy and time that I've put into them and that they've put into me. I've sat for hours on the steps of my church this week late into the morning before meandering my way to the rec center and the shopping plaza where I've sat and contemplated what God is doing in my life. I've pleaded with God to bring me back here some day soon, for His purpose and I fight to be confident that I am walking in His will in making this radical move. I love this neighborhood. It is painful to know that next week this time, I will not be in Philadelphia.

Friday, I blew off work in the afternoon and went and hung out at the Sal. I saw a lot of kids that I knew, but I actually met a lot that I didn't. The past three years have been about relationship for me. The single biggest thing I will take from Philly is that before I can love God and love others, I must learn to receive love from God and from others. I have been loved so well by so many people. I've had a lot of hard, painful and frustrating relationships from neighbors, friends, coworkers and others, but I am a stronger person and have grown in my capacity to love as a result. It should be hard to leave a place. Several people have made me cry in the things that they've said to me after I shared my bittersweet news with them. I am humbled that I have the opportunity to hear from my friends and to share with them how much they mean to me.