Good news!
Please continue to pray and act for God’s children who have been disappeared in Colombia and around the world.
See you along the Trail
Filed under Current Events, Friends
Something different happened when I left the office tonight. Well at least different from the previous two nights.
It was not raining. I simply note that. I am not complaining about the rain.
Places are desperate for rain. Children of God are dying, in part because of drought.
The simple reality is that for last two nights I and many other New Yorkers have made our ways home in the rain; others have endured the rain because they had to work or because they had no place to take shelter.
Tonight, it was overcast and damp when I stepped outside. But not precipitating.
This led to an interesting conversation:
When I was a child, I used to believe that the rain was God crying. That’s what my mother said. And I believed her.
Maybe, I said. We certainly give God enough reasons to cry. Look at how we treat each other, what we do to each other.
We do. We do.
We bid each other good-bye and I headed on toward the train.
And then the obvious flaw in that idea occurred to me:
If raindrops are God’s tears, it would never stop raining.
See you along the Trail.
I will not sleep well tonight.
It is hard to sleep, at least for me, when my heart aches even more than usual.
Thank you so much to everyone for your outreach in regards to the case of Antonio Ariza. We have received word from the US Embassy in Bogota today through numerous channels that they have our information and that they are working on his case.
We have also received feedback from many of our loyal grassroots supporters that they are experiencing issues with email bounce-backs from both US and Colombian addresses that we have provided you with. We apologize for this inconvenience, be assured that the addresses are correct, but their systems have a number of safeguards to prevent spam, and due to the volume of emails we have generated, some of them are being turned away by the automated systems. We have no control over this.
At this time we do not need to continue to send faxes to the US Embassy. They have received our message, and additional faxes would probably be counterproductive since they have been flooded today by our organization and our partner organizations. Please continue to fax/email the offices of Colombian officials as able.
Thank you so much—your solidarity means so much and we will continue to keep you posted about our continued advocacy for Antonio. Your prayers continue to be of great need and comfort to all in this time.
–The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Filed under Current Events
In therapist’s office,
you talk through bad times;
on found scraps of paper
I scribble poor rhymes.
6 September 2011
Downtown 1 Train
Filed under Poem
The past
can haunt us,
inspire us,
live within us,
shape us,
guide us,
influence us,
come out in our lives at times
and in ways that we never expect.
The past
may not even exist,
at least at times,
according to Faulkner; “the past is never dead;
it’s not even past.”
The past:
remember – never forget?
let bygones be bygones?
The past:
repress,
confess,
address,
suppress,
profess,
possess,
regress,
express,
invest,
protest,
digest?
The past
has seen me try
and come up short; and yet,
despite the past,
in spite of the past,
because of the past
I try again.
I try again.
5 September 2011
on the way to the gym
Shire on the Hudson
Filed under Poem
Step by step
One day at a time
I know the platitudes.
I have said them.
I have tried to live them.
Again and again and again
I have tried.
Several times
I have made a step or two
and stopped.
Several times
I have succeed for a day or so
and then fallen short.
The words sound almost hollow.
Yet they contain great truth,
and so today I note:
one.
A start.
Again.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Poem
Partway into this movie – or mini-series – have found some weirdness, some appeal, and several interesting things.
Interesting that James Coburn was the executive producer. James Coburn of The Magnificent Seven. I wonder what the back story is?
Interesting who the players are. In the scenes with the young Arthur, I was sure I recognized him. Near the end of his time in the film, I realized it was Freddie Highmore (August Rush, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland and more). A very young Freddie Highmore, but Freddie nonetheless.
Interesting version of the “relationship” between Arthur and Morgaine that leads to the conception of Mordred. Could be even more interesting to see how this develops.
Interesting take on how Arthur obtains Excalibur.
Interesting take on how Lancelot and Guinevere (Gwenwyfar as it is spelled here) meet.
I am interested to see what else proves interesting.
I need to reread the book. I suspect there will be many significant differences.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Movie
I have always liked books. English major. Children’s books have held a special appeal to me. Books written for children can be amazing: in words and images they may carry profound truth. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program makes good use of children’s books. Intergenerational conferences often included a time of bed-time stories in which staff read books of peace and justice.
Why this focus on children’s books?
On Friday, September 2, I visited Huguenot Memorial Church (Presbyterian) in Pelham, New York. We were planning a seminar for the church at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.We might not be able to come to you, but we would love to help plan a seminar for your congregation or other group. Contact us.
My visit involved a tour and conversations with Rev. Jacob Bolton, Rev. Stephen Michie, Mr. Floyd Tolliver, and Ms. Teisha Hickman, all of whom told me about the church and its ministry. I learned of children’s programming, mission trips, ministries to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, efforts to address hunger, support for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, participation in Habitat for Humanity and more. I saw the chapel, the stained glass in the sanctuary, the chapel that can be used in a variety of ways, the columbarium, an incredible triptych proclaiming the birth of Jesus, and the the gymnasium where cabarets, gymnastics, and basketball take place (not necessarily at the same time). All testaments to faithful disciples of Jesus.
Things really clicked when we entered the library. I checked the shelves and suddenly the corner that houses the children’s library caught my eye. Bright colors. New books. Diverse titles. Some I knew; some I recognized; some new to me; some in the pictures; some on a list of books for families living in a multifaith world.
I have already started to look for some of the books in the pictures. I invite you to do the same.
See you along the Trail.
Cheerleaders chewed purple fingernails
to the quick as the final drive of the 112th contest
between young men began.
In the midst of the offense and scoring,
a few defensive plays occurred.
Legs seized with cramps
in the Texas heat.
Penalties, stupid, stupid penalties
impacted drives.
Missed field goals early in the game,
at the time seemingly unimportant,
suddenly mattered,
mattered deeply,
when the first and last interception
sealed the result,
leading some to storm the field,
leaving some to stare in disbelief.
College football!
2 September 2011
Shire on the Hudson
Filed under Football
Filed under Photo
