To be led to true community, where we can become men and women of prayer and compassion, open to others, and to the world, particularly to the poor, the oppressed, the lost, and the vulnerable, and thus become artisans of peace. – Jean Vanier   Our culture is becoming increasingly disconnected from its former assumptions about meaning and knowledge. For many, this creates a kind of low-level psychic tension as we become certain of less and less while our innate sense of underlying order whispers and hints of deep reality nonetheless. My friend Mike says that for many people it is something like the scene of a devastating earthquake. Many of the familiar landmarks are gone. Many of the buildings around us have collapsed. What would you do if you came upon a scene like this? Well, you might start by providing places for shelter. Someplace safe. Someplace where people can gather in community and begin the process of rebuilding. But where? The old structures have collapsed. Even if one or two remain, no one wants to go in them. They have seen what happens when they fall. In our culture today, many people are cautious about living in the old structures. They have experienced the damage done when a marriage collapses and so decide that it is safer not to marry. They have watched corporate corruption bring down companies, destroy life savings and ravish the environment while political dishonesty has become a cliche and so decide that it is better to stay away from those as well. And the church...? For many it is just one more unsafe building. Better to stay away. What we need are temporary, safe, moveable shelters. A place to grow community. At Charis, our hope is to model a new structure. A new way of living. Come join us and see.   See you soon!   -Sam