Here and Now, If Only

I recently arrived in Los Angeles from Chicago for a brief hiatus while applying for seminary, which I plan to attend this fall. Coming to LA, I was eager to connect with a local body of believers. I was so elated when I found Basileia. However, I confess that participation in an emerging community pressing into sharing life, faith and resources accentuates the tension I feel about being here for a potentially brief stint.

Depending on which school I choose to attend, I may leave in August and head to the Pacific Northwest, or I may stay here in Southern California. The next step is still unknown to me, and for now, I am simply waiting on the Lord.  Transience and relationship are a tricky pairing for me. I prefer longevity, loyalty, enduring presence, and the experience of process when it comes to relationships. While none of these traits accurately describe my experience here in LA, I felt the pathway to LA was well lit, and so I came.

Now that I’m here, I feel challenged by the Holy Spirit to live as though I am here for a lifetime, even if in reality I am here only one more month. It feels terribly unsafe, but the alternative is walking alone. And even for a short season, that seems so far from God’s heart for me.

I believe the treasures of being in LA for a short time are hidden in the mysteries of community.  God is doing something here in Hollywood through community. I can’t quantify it, however I know that He is inviting me into it here and now. This invitation is confirmed and affirmed with every Basileia gathering.

So how I could I forsake diving in? I do not want to miss unlocking the mysteries of community that occur when we engage one another’s diversity of thought, life, culture, language and experience. I don’t want to miss the unfurling of God’s power and life here. Jesus is here, in Hollywood now, and I simply want to join Him in what He’s doing, if only for right here, right now.

by Athaliah Watkins