A year ago when we wished one another Happy New Year to welcome in 1993 little did I know that 1993 would bring a diagnosis of Alzeimer's Disease. When that news was delivered it came as a shock but by then it didn't come as a surprise given the symptoms I had been experiening (such as the hard time I am having typing and posting this update). It is very scary (even terrifying) when you find yourself lost in your own home. Amnesia ( continues) to be a powerful metaphor for the situation that the church find itself in ... lost in our own home. One of the gifts that I have experienced in this Alzhemer's journey so far is that I am able to enjoy reading and to comprehemd the texts. These have iave included biographies of Abraham Lincoln and of John Brown, also a Journal of the Plague year by Daniel Dafoe as well as a fascinating history of 17th Century England.(titled "Rebellion: The History of England from James 1 to the Glorious Revolution" by Peter Ackroyd. Such a fascinating history that is easily lost to our collective memory. Now 1 am on to rereading the Brothers Karamazov. I also read "God's Secretaries" - A beautifully written story of the creation of the King James Bible, the continuing good news is that targeted oral chemotherapy continues to keep multiple myeloma and amylodiosis at bay, Now its a matter of coming to terms with two incurable diseases. I am not sure how long I will be able to keep blogging about this experience, but I am going to try. Maybe I will surprise myself.
Thanks for your supportive and encouraging comments. They mean a lot to me.
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ReplyDeleteDear Ed, you might or might not remember me from the West Point Grey Ministerial. I just googled your name as I came across you listed as the editor of a book by Walter Brueggemann that I'm reading, and I wondered how you'd been getting on with your long-term illness. What a shock to read of your latest diagnosis. I am so sorry to hear about it. I'm very familiar with its progression from witnessing my mother's decline. I pray that you will have the support you need to live joyfully and knowing you are beloved by God to the end of your years.
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you Rosie. Yes, I remember you well and am grateful to you for your kind words about my Alzheimers disgnosis. Thank you for your prayers. I hope that the Mennonite community there is vibrant. I will imagine the armony singing during the day today and in the days to come.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed, a gift, Ed, that you can still enjoy reading and comprehend what you are reading. So glad to hear this! And you're gift of theological reflection is still very much intact. Such a powerful insight that the North American mainline church's amnesia of the story it's called to steward and proclaim -- of God-with-us in Jesus -- has us lost in our own house. A frightful loss for us and for the world we are meant to serve. And so we continue to sew the seeds of the story and to trust in God's work as Creator, Gardner, and Saviour. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteEd, your unwavering faith and compassionate leadership continue to inspire, especially in the face of life's challenges. Your strength in the midst of adversity is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Keep up the reading and "the scribbling". Wishing you joy, love, and divine blessings on your birthday.
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