February's Bare Soul on Love was definitely different. I felt very under prepared especially music-wise. At the start there were just a group of Christians there and I thought why am I doing this, especially as I had been talking to quite a few people who said they would come and then didn't show? Later the Landlady and Landlord joined as did a couple more non christians. The contributions were varied from a piece on the science of hugging to a Christian poem (that wasn't particularly good and quite jargony) to a fantastic poem written by one of the non-christians on Desire, Attraction and Love. There was some great art work displayed, and I sang a song that I had written ages ago.

There were also candles set up in a heart shape and people were invited to light a candle for some-one they loved and spend a minute thinking about them.
Towards the end a local musician came and joined us - after chatting with the landlady he went up and lit a candle. He then got up to sing a couple of songs explaining that it was the 4 year anneversary of his sons suicide. The songs he sang were special to him. It was a really touching moment.

After we had finished another couple came and joined us and again the Landlady encouraged them to light a candle for someone they loved. By this time both the landlady and landlord were totally hammered. Trevor the landlord was telling us how he had just resigned from 5 masonic lodges (although was still a member of his mother lodge) and Catherine his wife explained that it was because it was lent, they had talked about what they should give up and, as it was taking so much time, they decided the lodges had to go!!!

Though not many of the people I had talked to about the evening turned up, it had stimulated some really interesting conversations, culminating in one guy coming to 'regular' church last Sunday and another revealing that he had been abused by his priest! There is definitely something going on here.

I am trying to think through how to develop the community side of Bare Soul. It is great having a once a month gathering but it feels like there should be something else. I would love to see it become a community for those in the arts.