Belonging and not belonging at the university

[spally]

After many years of promising to give the university chaplains a proper place to work, the university administrators finally fulfilled their word. Our ramshackle fibro cottage was knocked down to make way for landscaped gardens and we moved into a new building. Desks! Air conditioning! A store room! A fire escape

Comments

[jennigan]

While I think you are correct in saying that what matters most is your identity in Christ, I can't help but think that materiality and space is important and can contribute a great deal to the feeling of belonging. For example, think back to our conversation at Vision Sunday, when we sat down. Church really just means a congregations of Christian, and what is the most important at St John's every Sunday is Christ and the Holy Spirit and our identity in him and as brothers and sisters to each other. BUT I also think the place in which we express this identity is significant, and that physical space can lend meaning.

I don't see why this would be different in a university/work setting! Our physical spaces have a huge impact on the way that we live, feel and operate. Our desks and chairs affect how we sit, the amount of light in the space affects our vision, the number of plants and photocopiers affect the air that we breathe - and all of this then has an impact on our work.

/geonerd

[jennigan]

"Church really just means a congregations of Christian"

I think the church has a more objective reality to it; if church is just a congregation, than it ceases to exist when a congregation is not congregating.

[spally]

Thanks for posting anonymous!
Could you leave your name next time?

[spally]

You are preaching to the choir my friend!! I get distracted all the time at work thinking about how the space I am in impacts on how we live and work and feel and act.
I think the problem is that I go way too far with this and forget that people are kind of at least a little bit important too. I think am a human GEOGRAPHER, rather than a HUMAN geographer.
I need to get the balance right and be a regular old Human Geographer. At the moment I think I need to overcompensate on the Human to get me there. Maybe you can hold me accountable if I swing too far in the other direction? :P