An Overdue Update

Getting Back Into a Rhythm of Writing

Dear Beloveds,

It has been too long since I sent out any sort of update, and much has happened. I am writing form the UK, where I have just begun my second year of my PhD at the University of Cambridge. This letter will be a brief re-introduction, update, and outline of how I intend to use this space going forward.,

I am working with the fantastic Karen O’Donnell and Giles Waller on a project exploring the theology of grief and mourning in the art and activism of HIV/AIDS in the United States from 1980(ish) until 1995. I will share more about this project in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for updates on this project. I had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest on the podcast, “And Also With You,” talking about grief and the Christian Faith, and the episode will be coming out in the next few weeks. I hope the conversation is helpful and invites a deeper engagement with questions around grief, mourning, and Christian hope.

I moved to Cambridge a year ago to start my PhD and take up the role of assistant chaplain at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. We have just come to the end of the first week back in some kind of a standard schedule, and I am looking forward to this year. Last year at this time I was trying to set up a bank account, figure out the details of starting a PhD, set up a new home, and adjust to a new culture. The start of my time here was defined by spikes in global violence, debates over genocide and ethnic cleansing, election seasons commencing in the US and (for a much shorter time) UK, and the normal processes of academic life. It was a lot to process, and still is.

In the last few weeks I have been reading adrienne maree brown’s Loving Corrections which has helped me to think about what it means to live in community, how we love each other across difference, and hold ourselves and one another accountable to higher standards of care and belonging that what we might have learned. I would recommend it to everyone.

More updates and posts are to come, and here is what you can expect. I plan on sending a brief post out every fortnight (every two weeks) on Friday. I am thinking of this as a kind of clipping: a poem, a thought or reflection, a piece of visual art, or something else from my research that might not directly be included in the dissertation but still feels worth sharing. Quarterly, I will share a longer reflection on life, my research, and my pastoral work here in cambridge. I welcome responses, feedback, challenges, and invitations to further conversation. My hope is that this space might be an opportunity to connect with friends, family, and colleagues across varied distances. And if this space goes quiet, do feel free to give me a nudge or check in, as a way of practicing accountability.

Much love,

Greg