August offers vacation time, and for housebound Delta surge respecters, this meant an astute selection of a safe city to explore, so we hit the streets of high altitude Santa Fe, New Mexico after crossing the lovely deserts of California and Arizona.
Conversation and home base worship all continue online with friends and the topics were both passionate and personal. What a week it was. When conversations begin with “Mercy” and end with “Oh dear God” you know it was more that the pandemic we have come to life with from one unmasked face to another.
1. Chilies in New Mexico, Red, Green or Christmas.
When the plate comes with two colorful stripes of hot sauce, we ask the waiter, “Does a carol come with that?” and he replies with ‘Jingle Bells’ as he lays out cutlery. Questions about chilies and heat created conversations with people in waiting lines, like at La Cocina in Espanola, New Mexico. One stocky man with a buzz cut fished out a zip lock with beautiful jalapenos fresh from his extensive garden patch. “Just got back from an 1800-mile bike ride to Sturgis and only had time for a shower and a quick pick trip to the garden. I give away most of them,” he said as he offered me an addition to my meal. It was clear we differed on masks, on distancing, maybe on vaxing, who knows, likely on many other political things that came up at COVID hotpoint Sturgis, South Dakota. We find a warm point of meeting over Scoville units and pepper growing and sharing with new friends.
2. Friday August thirteen was the predicted day of the second coming.
The “My- Pillow-Prophet” promised that a peaceful transfer of power from Biden and Harris back to the tiny hands of Trump was certain. It was not to be. We talk of those who started new nations, economies, movements, denominations from false promises of wild profusion while uncomfortable truths go ignored. We are past the tipping-point in destroying the climate of our planet, and is it easier to put faith in Q?
3. “Code Red for Humanity”
The 3000 page report released on August 9 by the 234 scientists from 66 nations supported by UNIPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)—it is truly apocalyptic. (Lord have mercy!) This is the 6th major report since the founding of the agency in 1988, and we are still at the beginning of the two major tasks: driving down carbon emission and transitioning to clean energy quickly and decisively. (Lord, where in the world are we?) Why are so many of us so silent about something so crucial as this?(Help Lord). If finding a conversation partner on this is difficult, we could talk more to God?(Hear our prayer).
4. Longest US war ends
Twenty years. One president after another owning it and passing it on, funding it and carrying on, justifying it and sinning on. Twenty years. And we can’t even spell the country’s name or cook its food for dinner. Why?
5. Haiti. Earthquake.
Did I mention Haiti? The earthquake at Les Cayes where MCC and many dear friends poured out love and life for years, did we remember Haiti? The earthquake? Talk about Haiti. We can’t quit talking about Haiti. Oh yes, Haiti! For more information and a way to donate visit MCC’s website.
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