Time flies, even during the Pandemic of 2020
I enjoyed seeing all the baby ducks along the banks of an inlet at the Palo Alto Baylands and was reminded that ducks quickly learn to swim and fend for themselves. Migratory birds find their way home. Not so human babies. Too many have been separated from their mothers, perhaps never to be reunited. The following dilemma is inhumane and inexcusable:
[There has been] a wide-ranging campaign to track down parents separated from their children at the U.S. border beginning in 2017 under the Trump administration’s most controversial immigration policy. It is now clear that the parents of 545 of the migrant children still have not been found, according to court documents filed this week in a case challenging the practice. About 60 of the children were under the age of 5 when they were separated, the documents show."
In the beginning of the pandemic we rallied, sending loved ones rolls of toilet paper and handing out fruit to delivery drivers. Now, living under a blanket of restrictions has become a way of life, a daily routine of risk calculation and caution. But cases are once again spiking around the world and many people have what some call “pandemic fatigue.” “The rituals of hope and unity that helped people endure the first surge of the virus have given way to exhaustion and frustration.” Everywhere you turn there’s a feeling of burnout, which is even more pronounced for essential and front line workers. The holiday season will be a challenge for morale. Jorg Klebingat, one of our church leaders told us 6 months ago: "We are never stuck in our present situation.Don't ever tell anyone you can't teach an old dog new tricks. We are never finished or acceptable in our current state. We need to progress, move forward setting goals. Pray specifically to help find the one. Be observant, looking for someone...to minister to. You might be the answer to someone's prayer." |
Four beautiful Helen Keller quotes to give us hope at this time:
*Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
*The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.
*The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.
*When we do the best that we can, we can never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
The last presidential debate, October 22, between Pres. Donald Trump and former vice president (under Obama) Joseph Biden, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, focused on six topics: the coronavirus, race relations, climate change, national security, American families and leadership. It was much calmer than the first one! Twelve days before Election Day, more than 47 million Americans have cast ballots, already surpassing the total early vote count in the 2016 election. Have you voted????
Pope Francis on Sunday named Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, a cardinal, elevating the first African-American to the Catholic church’s highest governing body, a groundbreaking act in a year when demands for racial justice have consumed the country.
