thoughts on the news of the day: mardi gras

hmmm…..

            Mardi Gras would probably not be nearly as popular – or as much fun if it was called “Fat Tuesday” which is what it means in French.  You probably don’t need this mini church history lesson, but long ago, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday all of the sugar, butter and spices were taken out of kitchens and used to make cakes, pancakes and other goodies.  The idea was that all of the things that could not be eaten during Lent were finished up the day before Lent, so as not to waste them.  “Fat Tuesday” came the day before “Ash Wednesday”.

            Today, Mardi Gras is all about parties, parades and celebration; plus a few things we won’t go into right now.  It occurred to me that it is interesting that two of the main locations of Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas have been hit by massive hurricanes in the fairly recent years.  I guess if you were wont to say so, there might be a case for the Almighty to be punishing the celebrators for their misbehavior in much the same way that he punished many Old Testament tribes and peoples.

            I actually do not hold to that theory.  To me, it is just too simple.  I don’t think the Divine Creator works that way.  If that were the case, then we would all be washed away into the salty brink.  None of us escapes sin.  We are all guilty of some misdemeanor or shortcoming and to single out one group or location just doesn’t work. 

            Celebration is good; it only goes south when we get carried away … so to speak ….

            hmmm…..

             

thoughts on the news of the day: purity

hmmm…..

            Dogs drink out of toilet bowls, right?  But it would be unheard of for a human being to drink out of one, agreed?    Well, southern California has completely destroyed that particular concept.  Through a series of purification and reclaiming processes, wastewater is now being used for other things besides well, wastewater.

            Actually, this is not a new concept; it is just new to be accepted by American consumers.  When you think about it, the dry and arid areas of California and Nevada would never have been developed without some kind of irrigation.  Sure, wastewater was used for this, but for drinking water? No way.  The thing is though; California is running out of water.  More and more, water is becoming scarce, especially clean drinking water.  Something had to be done.  So, scientists have developed ways to make wastewater safe to drink again.

            Purity; we all want it.  We want it in our water, and we want it in a myriad of other places, too.   One of our favored expressions in the Presbyterian Church is that we protect the peace, unity and purity of our faith.   But we have a hard time making it crystal clear what we actually mean by purity.

            Seems to me, if we think about what we want in terms of purity for our drinking water, we can easily determine what it is that purity means in our lives.  First of all, pure water means water that is free of undesirable elements.  Pure water is clean and clear, without the cloudiness of dirt or scum.  Pure water is tasteful, cleansing and refreshing.

 Clean, clear, tasteful, cleansing and refreshing -- if we want to have purity in our lives, wouldn’t these things come first?

            hmmm…..

             

thoughts on the news of the day: soup

hmmm…..

            As I write this the Super Bowl is on national television. The Giants and the Patriots are pretty busy right now, but most of us who are watching the game are probably lying around, eating snacks and enjoying a warm cozy living room.  In a few short hours, there will be a winner and a loser and life will go on for all of us viewing the show.  I am guessing that for most of us, the game will not be more than a passing memory in a day or two. In a year when the next game is presented, we will probably not even remember this one.

            But something that is actually much more important happens on this day also.  Many years ago a tradition began to celebrate Super Bowl with a collection of money and/or soup cans for those who are hungry – those who might not even have a bowl of soup to eat today.  The tradition has grown and now expands to many days before and after the big event.  There is a national group that coordinates the “Souper Bowl” but it is very loosely organized.  They get the word out, but encourage those who contribute to give their money and soup to local organizations and agencies who can then distribute them to folks who are in need.

            I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, we have not much more than an emotional stake in the outcome of the game.  But for those who are hungry, a can of soup could mean a whole lot more.  Tomorrow won’t be too late to write a check to a food bank.  It won’t be too late to take a case of soup there.  You might not be on national television, but you will be a hero.

            hmmm…..