Men need to take responsibility for pregnancies

 Shared responsibility: It's all about power. The Texas law which encourages people to be vigilantes to sue women and anyone who helps a woman receive an abortion is spreading across the country.  Why not make it unlawful for any man to have sex with a woman without wearing protection? Sexual relationships are a gift in a loving relationship and a responsibility. Power over and punishment to women still reigns. With mutually planned parenthood, there would be no rape, no abuse, not need for abortions. Unthinkable? Think again!

Welcome to Iowa Anytime

 It was a beautiful evening as the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees played an exciting game on the Field of Dreams in Iowa Friday night. Eight home runs and a thrilling 9th inning!

The announcers seemed overwhelmed that the corn from which the players emerged was taller than the athletes.  I am pleased they loved beautiful Iowa.  I know the Midwest is often considered fly-over country, but, seriously, had the Fox announcers never been here before? (They talked about grass as so green it looked like pretend grass carpet.) Iowans often travel to Chicago, New York, California.  Many have been to most U.S. states and overseas. 

I have lived in Iowa over 60 years of my life, most close to Dyersville in Dubuque.  I went with my father to Des Moines Bruins (Chicago Cubs minor league team) as a child.  When I lived in St. Louis, we had the Cardinals. When we lived in Detroit, we cheered for the Tigers.  When we lived in Connecticut, one of our son's cheered the Yankees while another cheered the Boston Red Sox. 

One game announcer said, "Iowans have probably never seen a Major League game before" The other chimed in, "It may take awhile before the 8000 fans here realize this is a real ball game."  The cameras showed one out-of-Iowa player taking a bite of corn right off a stalk and then spitting it out, finding it was not sweet corn but field corn.

But the field WAS beautiful.  The weather was perfect, unlike the terrible storms in the days before. The sunset gorgeous.  Welcome to Iowa any time.

 While CVID roared across the world and the fires and floods from the Climate Crisis covered the earth, including Greece, the home of the Olympic games, we watch the global celebration. Japanese children, singing at the Closing Ceremony pointed us to an unknown future. Hope!

Athletes from over 200 teams participated in 339 events. People from 93 nations won metals. Yes, of the 11,090 participants, more women than men won. In the United States 66 of the 113 medals were won by women. Title Nine, past almost 50 years ago, has made a difference. The mayors of both Tokyo and Paris--which will host the 2024 Olympics--are women. However, the goal is not to have more women than men, but more equal numbers of women and men from all countries. 

Faster, higher, stronger, together!  That is our hope.

Bombs and Baptism

 Bombs and Baptism.  Today is Hiroshima Day when the United States dropped an Atomic bomb on Japan 76 years ago.  Today is also the Baptismal Day of myself and my son, Kirk; I, 6 years before August 6, 1945, and Kirk, 30 years after my baptism.  I was baptized in the home of my Aunt and Uncle in Garner, Iowa (we lived in Des Moines), and Kirk in the backyard of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Detroit, a statement to the neighborhood (many neighbors came) that we could be outside together one year after the Detroit Riots.  Bombs and guns are with us still.  Baptism in Christ joins us together now and forever.

Early morning walk

 Early Morning walk in East Park, Mason City, Iowa 

Lift Every Voice

 In the midst of voter suppression, threats to our democracy and deep divisions in our country, I was encouraged when I experienced choirs singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (known as the black national anthem) during the fireworks display in NYC and Washington D.C. It signaled hope in the midst of suffering, and inclusion of oppressed people.  We must continue to work on this democracy. 

July 1 in Canada and the Netherlands

 Today, July 1, is Canada Day (fete du Canada). This national day celebrate the anniversary of Canadian Confederation July 1, 1867. When living in Detroit we and Windsor, Ontario, across the river, would celebrate July - July 4 together with fireworks over the river. We watched from Gethsemane church tower.

July 1 is Day of Freedom in the Netherlands (Dag der Vrijheden). It marks the day when slavery was legally abolished in the Dutch colonies in 1863.  However, enslaved people in Surname and the Dutch Antilles would not be fully free until 1873 after a mandatory 10-year transition period during which time slaves were required to work on the plantations.  I and my friend, Duncan, originally from Suriname, now a religious educator in the Hague, recently talked about the delay in freedom for Dutch slaves and the delay of full emancipation in the United States (Juneteenth).

Juneteenth Conversation

 Juneteenth!  Parades and celebrations across the country. Here in my small city my husband Burton and I went to a gathering at Monroe Park.  It was small.  Mason City is small.  But no matter.  What I will remember the most is the three of us, Burton, Reginald, an African American man, and I sitting on a park bench together in the shade and talking. We had not met before, but we talked about Juneteenth and our lives and, well, a wide range of topics and issues.  We listened and learned from one another.

Between Juneteenth and July 4, I can just imagine what it might mean for each person in this country to have such a meeting and conversation, with one other person we had not met before of a different race or ethnicity.  Can you just imagine, 300 million such one-on-one conversations?  

Birth Stories

 Oldest son Mark's birthday was Saturday, June 12. Each of our three sons has a story.  Mark was born in 1963; We adopted him the day I graduated from seminary in 1964. Joel, was 10 two weeks late, born in 1967 the summer of the Detroit "riots" (Rebellion) He wasn't sure he wanted to come into this world of fire and guns. Kirk was born in 1969, the day the U.S. astronauts came back from their first trip to the moon. What are you stories? 

Mark with daughter Aimee

Joel and Kirk with Dad.

Joel with son Jackson and me

Kirk and me.

Mark and Dad Burton

 

Urgent Choices

 Insurrection                                                   Voter Suppression

Rioters running through the Capitol.             Voting Restrictions running through Rep. Legislatures

Priority? Keep people not like us from voting.  Priority? Ensure everyone's voice heard to preserve                                                                                                       democracy

The "Big Lie" lives on                                 Unless we tell the truth.

Girls Killed in Afghanistan; More guns in U.S.

 There have been at least 191 mass shootings in the U.S. since the beginning of the year. In Afghanistan over the weekend over 50 people were killed and over 100 injured in a bomb attack...mostly school girls. In Iowa as of July 1 anyone can carry a gun in public places, e.g. grocery stores, malls, without safety training or a permit. How many more people will have to die? We, too, are a killing culture. How do we live in the image of the Creating, Reconciling, Life-giving God? 

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.