They all come with a dream

5/22

Teddy is staffing the door as Glen is running auditions for a new play. The sanctuary will be a holding area for aspiring actors all day long. Even with prescreening, there will be enough experienced actors, college, community theatre, regional and off-off Broadway to have a steady stream. Like the undocumented workers Tracy organizes, like Sekou and me, they all come with a dream.

Tom comes from the Belnord across the street and we catch up focusing on the need to get the neighbors organized once and for all to take responsibility for the building to free the church it be the church.

Mid afternoon, the first bus arrives back form Chicago. Steve emerges, weary but satisfied. Maybe ten New York occupiers were arrested and released. Over 20,000 gathered from around the country in mainly peaceful protest to confront NATO. The mainstream press of course, reported only the accused terrorists and the black block confrontation with the Chicago PD. Despite Rahm Emmanuel’s boast that Chicago had redeemed its reputation from 1968, Steve has eyewitness reports of free swinging billy clubs and free flowing blood. Steve, a major organizer,  had been interviewed by the Huffington Post. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/occupy-chicago-nato_n_1528901.html?ref=mostpopular)

We welcome back Stan and Jason from the bus as well. Buses continue to return throughout the afternoon.

An important meeting with our Muslim friends. The share our vision  for an interfaith, multicultural center for encounter and discourse. Wonderful visions of food, of sharing, of performance, of exploration. The window is fast closing. Now is the time to act.