Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on immigration: ‘Who is my neighbor?’

"Deeply embedded in the Christian faith, indeed deeply embedded in the Jewish tradition, which is the mother of the Christian faith, and deeply embedded in the faith and traditions and values of many of the world’s great religions, is a profound conviction in a sure and certain value and virtue that care for the stranger, the alien, the visitor, is a sacred duty, a sacred vow.

In the Hebrew scriptures in the book of Deuteronomy, the book writes and says you shall love the stranger, for remember you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.

In the 25th chapter of Matthew in the New Testament, Jesus in the parable of the last judgment says that when you welcomed the stranger, when you did it to these who are members of my family, you have done it to me."



transcript via https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/presiding-bishop-issues-video-message-on-immigration-who-is-my-neighbor/

sideswipe? maybe? #IrmaHaiti

Just a quick note - things are looking better than expected, though of course it's not over till it's over.

We went from this:

https://twitter.com/Gedemax

(which is to say, no power, no food in the shelters)

to this:

https://twitter.com/Gedemax/status/905958782982873089

Power's back on in Cap Haitien!

Given that when I lived in Haiti it was much more often off than on, this astonishes and delights me, assuming it's true. All of which is to say a cautious "yea!-ish?"  Could be worse (eg Tortola, Barbuda... awful... pray for them, too).

Haven't heard much about the flooding situation yet, which is what most concerns me. There are reports of it. We'll know more in the morning.

The only article-based report I've found online so far is this:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/07/irma-destruction-island-by-island-hurricane

It's not over yet.

https://www.windy.com/?20.448,-65.566,5

I just keep praying that it goes north (and preferably right between the coast and Bermuda where it will impact the fewest people), slows down, and then retires completely.

morning meditation with sharpies

why I marched: baptism, compassion, and justice

Women's March, Boston Common 1-21-17

From our baptismal service:

Celebrant	Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People	I will, with God's help.
Celebrant	Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People	I will, with God's help.

-- Book of Common Prayer p. 305 (or http://www.bcponline.org/)

This looks different over time - indeed, day by day. This year brings me a new way of living it out.

I made a few hats, too. (None of these, though.)

When was I last in a march, I wonder?

I recall a candlelight vigil with the sisters in 2003 in hopes of staving off another invasion of Iraq.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1

I recall a demonstration against apartheid when I was in college. I skipped psych class (and I wasn't a class skipper) to stand with others near the shanty town built next to the Beinecke Library. We were so excited when Archbishop Desmond Tutu sent us a word! I found some old pictures online, as a matter of fact, and am grateful to the alum who shared them:

https://yalealumnimagazine.com/blog_posts/1649

I recall a Take Back the Night march in Ann Arbor, MI a year or two earlier. Looked online and found that the organization still exists (http://tbtnannarbor.org/). As a signboard I read this weekend phrased it, "I can't believe I'm still protesting this ----." OK, I can believe it. I just wish I couldn't.

Mostly, however, I've written and called my representatives, signed petitions, and learned - too slowly - to speak up instead of smoothing things over that really needed not to be smoothed over at all.

Sometimes you need to make noise.
Boston Public Garden 1-21-17

I wonder if that is changing.

Yes. Yes, it is.
Let's make it better.
Boston Common 1-21-17

What will this year bring?

more of this? more than this, certainly

Yes, we can. Together. All of us.

Snowflakes, unite!

If I am going to live the promises I made in my baptism alongside my community's historical concern for women and children, it seems to me that more may be required in the days ahead.

I might note that there were quite a few concerns expressed Saturday, climate change among them. I am beginning to learn more about that, too.

Talk about something that will affect us all, or at least anyone who is going to live a while longer. I plan to.

Marching. Praying. Writing. Calling. Networking. Listening. More listening. Reading. More praying. Work I can't yet envision. Prayer that is listening and listening that is prayer moving into action.

Jesus may be calling me out of my sycamore tree.
(A sycamore tree would have been very handy on the Common on Saturday. Some of us are too short to see over 175,000 people. However, all the good trees were taken, as you can see.)

I will, with God's help.

Join me?

Advent candle difficulties?

I've been wondering... Several people I know either don't trust themselves to put out candles if distraction were to come, are uneasy about open flames, or live in an apartment or condo complex that doesn't permit candles. Nursing homes and hospitals normally don't permit candles, either. What are they to do if they want to continue with their traditions and have an Advent wreath?

I've just found some possibilities.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/322321704142?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

Here's another:

http://www.christmascentral.com/set-of-4-led-lighted-battery-operated-christmas-advent-tea-light-candles/

If you're an Episcopalian doing Sarum blue, there are blue tealights available pretty easily. Here is a 12-pack which would make three Advent wreaths or supply back-up candles (because who knows how long these things last)

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1200055/lumabase-12-pk-flameless-led-tealight-candles.jsp

If you have an Advent wreath set-up in which to put them, there are taper versions as well.

https://www.stpatricksguild.com/christian-gifts/christmas-advent-gifts/advent-candles-wreaths/led-advent-candles-battery-operated-4pc-1025in/

These pillar candles are lovely (as electric candles go), but way too expensive. Still, I share them so the possibility is offered. Probably somewhere out there one can find them more reasonable priced.

overpriced set of 4 on Ebay - each comes with a remote!

And then there is the least expensive option... Take a wide permanent marker in the appropriate color(s) and a bag of dollar store white tealights, and you have a DIY opportunity which might just work.

Perhaps you know someone who would like an Advent wreath. It would be a wonderful gift to make them one.

Mary, Did You Know?

entomology question

So who's good with moths? I don't mean "in good with moths" or "a lover of moths" - I wouldn't say I'm normally either, having no love of the ones that might eat a hole in my good winter habit sweater - but I'd love to find someone who might identify this rather unusual and beautiful moth that showed up the other day. I tried Twitter first, but no luck.  Anyone out there know?

I think it must be a Tiger Moth of some sort or at least a relative of that family.  Any guesses?

I moved it off the sidewalk so our dog wouldn't eat it. It didn't look too healthy, but it was able to cling to the paper, at least.

I was guessing "Many-spotted Tiger Moth" while checking out photos on Google, but then I found a description, and they're supposed to be out west. Maybe it hitchhiked on an airplane - I found a receipt from Texas, of all places, lying in our driveway the same day. Stranger things have happened.

Not dead, but not feeling very good, poor thing...

In any case, he or she is lovely, and I hope the rest of you entomologically challenged people will at least enjoy the photos I have and imagine such a creature happily in flight.

grey and white bird ID help, please

Scusset Beach

Today is #NationalBirdDay and also my free day - our community "sabbath" day of rest. So of course I went out to see some. Thought about staying home due to the gale warning, but that would have been far too sensible for a beautiful day, so out I went, though not for the full day.

Scusset Beach breakwater - these tourists told me it was too windy, so I decided to exercise some caution and not go clambering out to the end of it. Another time...

terribly disappointed not to be able to swim or scuba dive after all

Even the Eider is having his down ruffled.

First excitement - I think I have seen a horned grebe.  I *may* have seen one from a very great distance last month, but now I'm realizing there are several possibilities. I'm a beginner at this, so still a bit easily puzzled.

Here is my grebe. I think.

Now here is the other bird. Or birds.  I thought they were all the same type of bird, so I wasn't being careful. Now that I get it home, however, I see that one does not seem to have quite the same beak/bill and the one I think might be a loon doesn't seem to have red eyes, either. But it could be a trick of the light or my wishful thinking (another new bird!).

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Scotland counts

Thinking about Scotland tonight as the counting begins. I hadn't realized that they don't put out election results until they are all in and the count is final.  Media is not to analyze anything while the polls are open.  Wow.  That certainly would make for a different election and less media influence.  I wonder what Bush vs. Gore would have been like...


And it's so close.  Now that the polls have closed, BBC is up and running.

And so I have discovered something astonishing.  I had been saying earlier today that it seemed close enough that a recount was certain. But look at this:

So could they do a recount? The short answer is no.

The Chief Counting Officer Mary Pitcaithly has made it clear that all votes are counted locally, that concerns about the count must be resolved locally, but "the closeness of the vote will not in itself be a sufficient reason" for a recount at any of the 32 count centres around Scotland.

She adds: "There is only one result - the aggregate of all 32 local totals."

'Respect the result'

And any recounts done locally, unless it was the last count centre to declare, would be done without the knowledge of how people had voted elsewhere - and so without knowing how close, or not, it might be on the national stage.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-29226235

Wow. Just wow.

bbc.com is running live updates now that the polls have closed.
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-scotland-29130277

I can understand why Scotland might want to do such a thing, given that no one likes to feel controlled or helpless to determine his or her own fate. But practically? Just thinking about the logistics and the actual, monetary cost of a split, never mind a host of other issues and over 300 years of successful union, I just can't see a yes vote as logical, as appealing as it might sound.

Fortunately, this is up to residents of Scotland, not Massachusetts.

Let us pray that the right choice is made and that hard feelings created in this process are healed sooner rather than later.

Someday I'll have to find a way to get back to Scotland myself. I'm sure it will still be a topic of much discussion whatever the results may be.

Manistee Audubon Sanctuary - today's beauty

This afternoon, my sisters and I went to the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary in Manistee. I'm staying in the area in my sisters' cottage near Lake Michigan, and when I found out the Audubon Society had a wildlife sanctuary here, I was really happy.  

http://www.michiganaudubon.org/conservation/sanctuaries/index.html/title/lake-bluff-bird-sanctuary

http://www.michiganaudubon.org/about/chapters/chapters.html/title/manistee-audubon-society

And I still am.  It's beautiful there. 

 It was a lovely day for a walk - temperatures in the seventies, sunny, a slight breeze... just about perfect. 

We didn't see as many birds as I had hoped, but I saw two birds I'd never seen before. That is, I'm sure I saw many birds I'd never seen before, but two species I hadn't! Both are birds I had said I'd like to see at some point, but I wasn't thinking of them today. A nice surprise.

my first Cedar Waxwing sighting
I don't even think I'd heard of them till a couple of years ago.  I just didn't used to pay a bit of attention to birds.

The bird sanctuary goes all the way down to the water.

I'd love to see this one at some point. No ducks to be seen today.

beautiful Lake Michigan

my first Indigo Bunting!

Over the river and through the woods...

Here is an interesting plant:

Look at the seeds/berries/whatever they are in the middle.  Anyone know what this is? Maybe some kind of trillium? I really know nothing whatsoever about plants.

I'm sure some critter is having a wonderful time with this tree.  Any ideas here?

I love chickadees.

Now, any of you who know birds, I have a question for you.  I thought this next one was a Downy Woodpecker. Now I am looking at the photo, and I see that his red spot is on the top of his head instead of towards the back.  I'm confused. Nothing in the book I have with me in Michigan that quite matches.  

What kind of woodpecker is this?

This next one I'll just have to look up later.  Sparrow? Finch? Female Indigo Bunting? It will wait - it's getting late. Something to look forward to tomorrow. Among many, many other things.

I'm so grateful for this beauty and for the chance to share it with my sisters. Family sisters, in this case. God is so good.