an open letter to the diocese of chicago youth, circa 1995-2000

from around 1995-2000, i was a paid musician for church youth conferences in the episcopal diocese of chicago. not only did these years cultivate an intense love affair with deep-dish pizza (suck it, new york, you've got NOTHING), but it also proved fairly formative to my own spiritual development.

i watched many young people__literally hundreds__grow up; but i also watched many of them grow spiritually. and i know for a fact that I was instrumental in this for many of them. it is one of many experiences that i remember sometimes, once in a while, reminding me why i am here. i think the letter i spontaneously wrote them tonight speaks to this. i'm not here to work and to make money and to have things... i'm here to... well, just read the letter. you'll get the drift. i figured i'd post it here, so others can have a glimpse into a very important part of a particular time period in my life.

and, i'm really kind of diggin the fact that this makes like 4 days in a row that i've posted something!

i've already asked sue cromer, the director of youth & young adult ministries for the diocese of chicago, to send this to anyone who knows me.

a quick shout out to her: she has done great things up there.

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hello old diocese of chicagoans-

i just wanted to say thanks to all of you. for memories. for friendships. for your singing. for your hugs. for your little jesus-love notes (some of which i still have in my guitar case!) for your tears.

for helping me to better understand what the whole christianity thing is all about.

you see, as you all have surely experienced by now, life is kinda nuts. the world is full of terrible people who do terrible things; but, then, it’s also full of good people who do terrible things, right? as i course through this short life at breakneck speed, i have seen quite a bit. i imagine you have as well.

at times, i have wanted to give up. and at other times i feel like i have been given up on.

i imagine i am not alone in such thinking.

i don’t know where most of you are now; geographically, physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually. i have been all over the map myself. and, if any of you remained true to your episcopal roots, then you have had a similar path. one which involves thought. and action. and compassion.

but who has time for all of those things these days, anyway? hell, i sometimes go an entire day without thinking about the fact that i AM.

but, right now__tonight__i know that i am. you are all part of the reason why i can say that.

i hope that many__if not all__ of you turned out to be good people trying to do good things. if the world doesn’t have that, then what chance have we got? but that’s what faith is for me, when i can slow down and stop to think about it. faith is doing good things. it’s not about belief, as far as i’m concerned. it’s about spreading goodness, happiness, understanding, compassion, and love. my faith tells me that i have impacted each of you in a positive way__through my music, my listening, my camaraderie, my humor, my intellect: my total being. and, i hope that this impact impressed upon each of you enough that you, too, have gone on to impact others in similar fashion.

but, just so you know, in those times when i do think of all of you__and there are MANY of you__i don’t only think of the positive impact i had on you. i also think of how you all impacted me. you were all (well, most!) significantly younger than me, at least in episcopal years. ;-) the youth are what drive the spirit of the church. and as far as i’m concerned, if the church doesn’t have the youth, it is going to die. there are many other churches (and non-religious organizations) out there, inspiring their youth to hate and intolerance and bigotry and closed-mindedness.

so, i ask you, please take a moment, reflect on who you were, and ask yourself: is that still part of who you are? if the answer is yes, then the world will be a better place. because as far as i am concerned, as a whole, you were all golden.

i hope you still are.

much love and peace-
david bryan
p.s. i play mandolin now!
p.p.s. yes, i still sing songs about chicken

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