This past summer, I spent an inordinate amount of time in Pennsylvania, a state that I had not visited for years, fond as I am of it. I visited three of its cities in three months — Pittsburgh, Gettysburg, and Harrisburg, in that order. First I went to Pittsburgh to formally take my early retirement from active full-time denominational service at our annual General Assembly. Then I went to Gettysburg to serve as a delegate at the 2023 National Convention of Braver Angels at the launch of its Rise for America campaign. Lastly, I went to Harrisburg to visit a newer friend who had moved back there after leaving his New England church; afterwards, I took a short drive on I-81 to the Alleghenies, where a couple of old friends took my husband and me on a magnificent hike though World’s End State Park. The views there were glorious and I promise you, well worth the trip. Make it someday, if you can.
The Reverend Dr. 