Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Witnesses to Truth

 Initial Milwaukee Police Department report: "Man dies after medical incident during police interaction." That would have been it after George Floyd's death, except for 17-year-old Darnella Frazier's camera witness to the world.

By-standers became witnesses to the truth, including the 9-year-old who said to the police, "Get off of him." And thanks be to the witness and work of Keith Ellison, and his team.  And thanks to . . . .

We are called to be witnesses to truth and to now work beyond accountability to systemic change.

Monday, April 19, 2021

Marigolds and the Climate Crisis

 

Marigolds! I planted marigolds in the city. Earth Day is this Thursday, April 22. Decades ago, at the time of the first Earth Day, we were living in the inner city of Detroit. Then we moved to the inner city of New Haven, CT.  Planting flowers in the city is not easy. They are easily uprooted, trodden down.  No roses. No fragile or tender plants.  So I planted Marigolds.  The more children picked them, the more they flourished. I love the varied colors, each flower unique.

And then we began to recycle cans, and then paper. (As a child we did save paper for wartime paper drives.) 

But now?  Climate Change!  I prefer calling it a Climate Crisis because it is, and we know it.  In fact, we know that doing things to steward the earth is already too late. I applaud Pres. Biden having the United States rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, the international accord designed to avert catastrophic global warming. Too late? It's never too late, to be serious, and to work boldly together in every way possible. . . and to plant some more Marigolds.



The United States in February this year  formally rejoined the Paris climate agreement, the international accord designed to avert catastrophic global warming.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

 St. George's Chapel: Remembering Prince Philip.

Dignity, respect, loyalty, responsibility, love, companionship.  With family procession, the Queen walked alone. She will carry on.  The worship was calm, 30 people masked, distanced, and yet so much together. Beautiful music and prayer and the Word of God: "Your brother will rise again. . . I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they died, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 

And they left.  And we in this country turn again to our challenges: guns and division, fear and barbed wire. Will we have the courage to carry on with love and responsibility and respect? Jesus is the resurrection and the life.