Two things:
1) At the end of last week I was invited by the mayor’s office to contribute toward a collection of faith leader messages addressed to city residents. The intention was to offer words of encouragement during the anxieties of this pandemic. In the message I suggested this time has similarities to two of the major storylines in the Bible – Exile and Exodus. The 4 ½ minute video can be viewed HERE and you may recognize some of the other clergy in the playlist...
The rains came! Here in Thailand, from somewhere around mid-November until mid-April we don’t see any rain. And, in the midst of no rain the farmers begin to burn their old crops. The pollution gets pretty bad. Really bad, actually. As soon as April comes we start to check the skies for rain clouds and praying that they come sooner than later.
This year, right smack dab in the middle of the burning season, we found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic. Don’t go outside, you say? Already planning on staying inside.
...
My father would insist that significant events be acknowledged and commemorated. His tributes were often simple. If we were on a trip, he would find a cupcake and a candle and noisemakers and sometimes hats. Everyone nearby who could gather did, and faces shining and smiling, we would sing happy birthday. His motivation, which was pure and joyful, was to say, “I see you and you mean something to me.”
I learned that desire to remember and memorialize. We are in the middle of this pandemic, so I don’t know yet the meaning of it and everything I’ll...
So what is your reaction to the spiritual practice of washing feet? My friend Jan says she runs as fast as she can when she hears the term. For myself, there have been very positive experiences and a couple not so great. It actually can be an amazing and intimate spiritual opportunity, and I use it occasionally with nursing home and hospice patients I know well.
A simple question? Do you run, or do you engage in foot washing? Perhaps these words will be a special blessing to you today. I truly hope so.
...
Most mornings between 6:30 and 7 am I am reminded by the pawing and whining of the dog that it is time for the morning walk. For our dog Millie, a sweet eight-ish-year-old pup of indeterminate mix and origin (we tell people she is an American Black/Brown Dog) whom we brought home from the pound, it is one of her favorite parts of the day. The rush and urgency of getting the walk done as a task to be completed before getting ready for work in a pre-pandemic world is now a more leisurely stroll or amble through North Clintonville and the area around the original site of...