This morning, a friend posted on Facebook, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!” -Psalm 84:1 It has framed some of my thinking for this weekend at my college reunion. I walked across the lush greens of campus and visited majestic old buildings, centers of higher education.

Does the Lord dwell here? It certainly is lovely. On top of one building, a falcon perched, calling out to his mate. In the distance, the pipe band is practicing Amazing Grace.

In another post, a friend talks about a piñata her daughter and husband has made. They probably had more fun making it together, than the kids will have bursting it open. My mind wanders to sand mandalas and wonder about traditions of creating something beautiful and then destroying it in Western cultures. Does the Lord dwell in sand mandalas?

I think back to the other day at work when I ran into an old patient climbing into her beat up car. We had a briefly, lovely chat. Does the Lord dwell in her? In you or I? Does the Lord dwell in my friend from the street who has just gotten a place to live, in my friend who suffered from domestic violence, in my friend living in a nursing home? Does the Lord In our classmates from college, or those from other years?

I spent a lot of time walking around today. I spent a lot of time talking with others. Now, I need to just be still and think about lovely dwelling places.