"Be the change that you wish to see."

Soon after college I read these words on the back of the newly released, special edition, DVD of the film "Gandhi". It was, at the time, the most challenging statement I had ever encountered, and it was the only truth I knew at the time, though I failed miserably at living up to it.

There is one person who exuberates fruition at living up to this particular statement...and at the risk of comparing Blake Skidmore to the Mahatma himself, I must also say that his family is revolutionary in their capability to serve as if there was not a choice involved.

Eric Skidmore didn't even flinch for a day and a half at carrying box after box, watching Canaan, going to get straps and bungees, organizing our trailer, and whatever else it took to get us packed efficiently...taking care of us like family.

I still don't know what to think about it.

On the other side of the move, Blake and the Skidmore parents were there to help us carry box after box, watch Maggie, organize our storage unit, and give us a lock that they had to drive back to their home and get.

I still don't know what to think about it. They didn't even flinch.

There were others who helped on both ends (as a great acknowledgment)...but this is not a post about them.

This post is about Blake, and his extraodinary passion for justice and reconciliation among his community and his world, as a Follower of Jesus.

He might be young and anxious (Hondurans better watch out if Blake gets behind the wheel of the MDL Van or Truck...he ran several hippies off the road on the way to bonnaroo), but he is one that acts before being ask.

One of my greatest shared experiences with him was the Death Cab show at bonnaroo. While they played mostly "Transalantasism", and Ben Gibbard played like he hadn't performed a show in three years...it was when the dude (really fucked up on who knows what) next to us fell straight back (eyes rolling back in his head) that the difference between Blake and I became apparent...I froze, looked at Blake and said..."dude we need a..." - before I finished the sentence, Blake had already ran out of the crowd, and within a minute, came back with a "safety" guard. I was still froze there...apparently thinking of how I might counsel those traumatized by the event...but after all of that, the dude stood up and drank some water, and all was Death Cab once again.



The entire bonnaroo experience with Blake was one to not be forgotten...especially when he ran and jumped onto the "Bright Eyes" (which included Conor) entourage, just to ask if Gillian Welch was going to play again during the festival. Only Blake would do that.

I know that Blake means so much more to many of the community members of Landing Place, and he will soon mean so much to the Mountain of Light in Honduras...but I thought this video below represents so much of who the community was and is from Ohio to Mass to Cali to Honduras and many places in-between.

Here is to more action and contemplation now and when we see each other again.


Hallelujah, Blake Skidmore, Hallelujah.