Yesterday after the Eucharist the students and the faculty took table fellowship together. The conversation on my table was lively. We talked about the appropriateness or not of crossing yourself at the Benedictus, the course on Mark that Dr. Eric Thomas was teaching, the merits or otherwise of fast food, the delights of raising children, and as Senior Vice President Knowles made some announcements, we were about to start discussing Augustine of Hippo’s adopted daughter.

Later in the afternoon, I found myself reflecting on the gift of these “in between places”. This was a conversation, which ranged widely. Everyone around the table made a contribution. Much of the time thoughts were punctuated with laughter.

This is what presence is all about. There is a gift in these moments of presence and proximity. And it is not simply the discovery that a person is not just a head and shoulders. It is also the texture and depth of connection. So, I was grateful to my table fellowship. Thank you.

The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary