Potter
Julie and I were in Dahlonega for the fourth, and while we were there we went shopping for some wedding presents. If you're getting married and we're invited, the odds are extremely high that you are going to get as a gift a piece of pottery from Brad Walker. Brad has been making pottery and selling it on the square in Dahlonega for around 20 years. He makes beautiful pieces.
After lunch we went into Brad's store and Julie picked out what she wanted to give. As we were paying we began to talk. Brad showed us an article from th eAJC from several years ago that he had been reading when we came in. It wasby an Episcopal priest in Atlanta. He had once been a Franciscan, and the article was about his understanding himself to be a fundamentalist in the sense of Saint Francis - namely one who is focused on the love of God and neighbor as the core of religious life. The article ended with the famous prayer of Saint Francis. Brad and agreed that Francis and this priest pretty much had it right.
Brad began to talk about other authors that he found meaningful in his mixture of Buddism and Christainity. He likes Thomas Merton, the great Catholic spiritual writer who died tragically in 1968. He likes Thomas a Kempis' the Imitation of Christ ( a very influential book for John Wesley). He really likes Saint John of the Cross and the classic work The Dark Night of the Soul. Most of these authors he has on his shelf there in his store! I recommended Henri Nouwen and Brian McLaren to him. I knew Brad had a pretty deep spiritual side, but I did not know the depth of his reading and thinking. Right there on the square in Dahlonega.
He was in Vietnam in 1969 and 1070, and we talked briefly about that, and he showed us a writing he had done during his stay there when he began to realize, "this is crazy". We named Josh's experience in Afghanistan, and Brad just shook his head and was grateful that Josh was back safely. We talked a few moments more and he said, "It's amazing what we will do for greed." I agreed.
It was a great visit. I came away with more than two pieces of lovely pottery.
Jimmy
After lunch we went into Brad's store and Julie picked out what she wanted to give. As we were paying we began to talk. Brad showed us an article from th eAJC from several years ago that he had been reading when we came in. It wasby an Episcopal priest in Atlanta. He had once been a Franciscan, and the article was about his understanding himself to be a fundamentalist in the sense of Saint Francis - namely one who is focused on the love of God and neighbor as the core of religious life. The article ended with the famous prayer of Saint Francis. Brad and agreed that Francis and this priest pretty much had it right.
Brad began to talk about other authors that he found meaningful in his mixture of Buddism and Christainity. He likes Thomas Merton, the great Catholic spiritual writer who died tragically in 1968. He likes Thomas a Kempis' the Imitation of Christ ( a very influential book for John Wesley). He really likes Saint John of the Cross and the classic work The Dark Night of the Soul. Most of these authors he has on his shelf there in his store! I recommended Henri Nouwen and Brian McLaren to him. I knew Brad had a pretty deep spiritual side, but I did not know the depth of his reading and thinking. Right there on the square in Dahlonega.
He was in Vietnam in 1969 and 1070, and we talked briefly about that, and he showed us a writing he had done during his stay there when he began to realize, "this is crazy". We named Josh's experience in Afghanistan, and Brad just shook his head and was grateful that Josh was back safely. We talked a few moments more and he said, "It's amazing what we will do for greed." I agreed.
It was a great visit. I came away with more than two pieces of lovely pottery.
Jimmy
posted by Jimmy at 7:34 PM
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