Daily Reflections
by Al Fritsch, S.J.

Garden art made from refurbished hand tools.
(*photo credit)

July 1, 2023                                Deciding What to Stash and What to Trash

            This is Independence from Stuff Week; we ought to think about removing and recycling all the accumulation of materials that are a burden on us now and on those who must clean up after we depart. We are reluctant to let go because we have the grand idea that someone, someday, may want them.  How confused or misdirected we are!   Movement from place-to-place demands mobility; so does the final grand move.

            Our consumer product-laden society has much that is cheap, disposable, of limited shelf-life, quickly unfashionable, and designed for planned obsolescence.  Materialism allows junk to quickly accumulate, especially if we are impulse buyers.  Some in our region have large collections of unusable vehicles clustered near their residences.  They can't part with these beloved relics that are unsightly to neighbors and visitors.  An old lady in my home county (Mason) had her shiny new Ford Model-A hoisted on blocks in her barn though she neglected to learn to drive.  She went each morning to "race the engine" (start up the motor) while not moving the car; she would continue to add gasoline for this venture month after month and in due time the motor burnt out.  She called the mechanic, who came to her barn and was puzzled: the odometer read less than 100 miles.  She was an ace junk collector.

            Stash with care.  Stashing or storing is a proper exercise, if there is some future benefit, whether from a collection of items or of records and books (my area of weakness).  Our judgments of future "benefit" can sometimes be misconceived and made with little genuine reflection.  If space is available, we tend to stash more and more away.  A disciplined stasher will rearrange storage areas on a periodic basis.  In recent years I have striven to dispose of useless incoming mail (preferably in recycling bins) with consistent daily frequency.  I note that people who simply set materials aside will never get rid of them, only move them from pile to pile to pile as things accumulate.  Stashing what is beneficial requires forethought and rigor, provided we know where it is stored.              

            Trash with care.  We do regret throwing away the wrong thing.  The verb "trash" now means to discard what we find is of less worth.  If to trash seems too pejorative an action, then consider "returning materials to productive use" with its far more positive connotation.  We recall that storage space is an environmental resource taking energy and time to build, maintain, and properly protect.  We could consider giving unneeded items to those who would truly benefit or donate to a yard sale -- provided the recipients do not simply extend their own accumulation problem through the purchase.  Recycling implies turning something into a new use with greater benefits attached.  Creativity comes in disposing properly; conservation means refraining from getting.

Beat the Heat
By Al Fritsch, SJ

           2023 is proving to be a very hot year (May was the hottest on record) and temperatures could continue to rise through the summer, so we should really consider this issue.  You’ve probably heard before everything I could say about this, but we should review it occasionally to see if we’re keeping cool enough to withstand the heat and have a good quality of life all at the same time.  Here’s some points that should be considered.

           The first is to drink plenty of fluids.  I say fluids instead of water (the primary one), because some people do not like to drink water by itself and that’s okay, provided they stay within suggested limits, which brings us to the second point - to know when we’re dehydrated.  This is important to me because last springtime I was told by a nurse that I was probably highly dehydrated, something I suspected but didn’t know for certain; it’s possible to deny your own condition implicitly.  We once had a person working for us in Kentucky who didn’t believe in drinking a lot of water saying he ate a lot of lettuce instead, and he was so dehydrated that we immediately had to get him to start drinking water; lettuce is not sufficient.

           We often forget that the cooler portions of both evening and morning make up the greater part of daylight this time of year, and we should use that for work that needs to be done outdoors.  Use sunscreen when needed.  I like to get a little sunlight every day, and I think it’s important that we have full spectrum sunlight during the winter time, and year round.  It really helps your own psyche very much; you’re more able to handle and cope with things if you’re getting the necessary vitamin D.  Use sunscreen when necessary.

           Stay relatively cool, and cool off when overheated; that’s not always possible.  A cold shower may help, though for some that can be overly shocking.  Air conditioning helps many (of course a story in itself), but we should confine it to the most lived-in rooms and reduce the spaces we are trying to cool.  Use it during higher day temperatures, but turn it off during the night.  There are also many high-powered fans that do very well in place of air conditioning that requires so much energy.

           We need full spectrum sunlight all year round, and some people stay in the shade and forget that they need some sunlight.  Some elders die during winter time because of the cold and freezing, but conditions can be even more desperate in the summertime weather.  Elders may be stuck inside, unaware that they need more circulated air and ventilation.  So we should check on the elderly.  How are they doing?  

           Fix meals in batches so we’re not cooking constantly, but maybe once over two or three days.  A good batch can last us for a while and reduce excess heat in the kitchen.  And secondly try to plan meals with uncooked foods, since there’s many, many salads could be created with produce available during the summer, and lots of cold dishes that are perfect for this time of year.

           Dress for the season.  Light-colored loose cotton fibers are far better than tight-fitting synthetics, uncomfortable during the summer time.  It’s important for us to stay cool in how we dress both at home and on the road.

           Cool our residences.  Shade trees outside are a blessing and we can cool the house by shading the windows, cutting down on the amount of heat entering the house at a given time.  Fluorescent light bulbs are an ideal choice whenever reducing heat or saving energy is important. Sit in the shade, take a cold shower, or visit a swimming pool when necessary.  Remember, this time of year we must take special care of ourselves and it’s awfully hard to do with the hot weather.

           A final suggestion is a hard thing for many people - curb travel.  Travel really is a hot exercise; it takes a lot of effort on our part, it’s sweaty and so often involves cars and congestion and constant movement.  So with that in mind, stay close to home.  See a special site nearby, rather than travel miles and miles away during the summer.  Make it a time to just stay close and not go out.  

           All of these suggestions are ways we can beat the heat, and there are many more.  Think about these and ask yourself, how is it going?  Are we allowing opportunities to go by without noticing?  Are we nurturing maximum quality of life during a very hot summer?  What about our family, friends, neighbor and neighborhood, our community?  We all need to think in terms of beating the heat, both individually and collectively. 

Great blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, at forest edge.
(*photo credit)

July 2, 2023                                  Giving a Cup of Water is Pro-life

           And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little
one is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.        (Matthew 10:41-42)

           All who seek to assist others in large or small matters are showing the power to enhance life on this planet.  The vitality of our planet is associated with that of all the people who inhabit this fragile world, who see others in need, and who strive to help them.  We all know that without a viable planet our human quality of life would deteriorate and fade.

            The strategy of many traditional pro-lifers is to express doubts that expanding the life arena will water down or weaken traditional life/death issues generated by Roe v Wade.  The early efforts to include peace issues (Cardinal Bernardin), had both acceptance by some but fear by others as distracting from the main pro-life issues in their agenda.  Now the expansion of the discussion to capital punishment also had some but not entire resistance, mainly because the first ray of hope was that traditional liberals and conservatives could unite on a life issue; this especially became more evident when DNA samples were determining that dozens on death row throughout the country were actually innocent.  Furthermore, other civilized nations abolished the death penalty.  Why shouldn't all American states do likewise?

            Climate change problems raised new pro-life concern for the very life of our planet.  Here "red-state" pro-lifers voiced objection.  For them, to go beyond the human has no end in sight.  Environmental concerns about the vitality (that is, life) of the planet affect current and future generations; it will impact the poor who cannot flee the global flooding of urban areas as will effects on wealthier inhabitants.  Climate change deniers are heavily influenced by merchants of doubt, paid by Big Energy to prolong fossil fuel profits.  For the deniers, one must never bring environment under the pro-life umbrella.  However, it appeared to others that to invite conservatives into the green movement would make the issue a win-win one; environmentalists ought to broaden their sphere of influence in critical times. 

            Those who have propagandized the general public into "no new taxes" (because they do not want to pay their fair share), must be challenged.  The pro-life movement ought to invite all people and hope all affirm life in some form.  Climate change, with over 98% of scientists agreeing that it is human-caused, becomes a major pro-life issue.  Threats to the environment through excessive greenhouse gas emissions must be challenged with all tools possible.  And broadening the pro-life agenda to include anti-governmental types is praiseworthy and the effort is a cross worth pursuing.  Life covers an entire range of services and issues; sustaining a higher quality of life is a challenge in these troubled times, but we need fortitude to meet this challenge.

Vine-ripened fruit of the native Kentucky passionflower.
(*photo credit)

July 3, 2023                                               Bringing about Fair Taxes

            Let’s remember that the first July Fourth was about taxes.  Now we ask: Why do billionaires exist?  There are two ways to save the soul of a billionaire or a super rich person: one is to persuade them to become a modern St. Francis of Assisi; the other is to impoverish them to be more on par with the rest of us.  Both getting them to give up their wealth and taking their wealth for better causes are authentic Christian undertakings.  Fairness of taxes would eliminate billionaires because the lower- and moderately-income are unfairly taxed while the rich run away with loot.  Recall the System was composed through sacrifices of citizen taxpayers. The privileged few live off the public's permissiveness for they, as wealthy controllers of the System, get their public relations lackeys to ensure unfair tax breaks and investments at two-thirds the rate of average citizens.  They also insist that "NO NEW TAXES" apply to all -- their only nod to equality -- for they want to continue to receive benefits and ensure Congress members are subservient to them.  Unfortunately, the lower income proportionally pays higher taxes.

            Why revolt in 1774-6 and not today?  The answer is that the public today is far less patriotic and unified than they were 250 years ago.  How could scattered American colonials be so concerned then except that they were willing to form their own opinions?  Thus our current "patriots," with multiple information sources do not realize how the unfair tax system disrupts the democratic process and how the profiteers of unequal wealth can captivate simple folks with their propaganda.  The wealthy influence the 99% underlings to such an extent that many buy their American Dream.

            Estate taxes.  The wealthy exert constant pressure to have tax benefits include the repeal of federal estate taxes, although only paid on inheritances of more than two million dollars.  And the targeted one percent, through access to the media and by disinformation, label the federal estate tax as the "death tax."  Moderate-income folks, on learning aspects of fair tax laws realize that they or kinfolks would never have such privileges; they begin to see that this country, which lives on borrowed money, will lose tens of billions of much-needed income. 

            Citizen demands.  Our essential needs can certainly be met by taking from the wealthy what belongs to the commons -- the people. We cannot wait until all the rich are moved through charity to share, for that is wishful thinking.  Why is extreme wealth allowed for a few and extreme poverty for the many?  The great equalizer is an authentic and just tax system -- and that is what the dream of the colonists was, a dream fading from our collective memory.  Let's remind ourselves of that dream of fair taxes on this July Fourth.  It's called "civic responsibility;" tax loopholes need to be removed, but that is a difficult and unpopular task.  This is one of many issues calling for solidarity in this time of American history.

Nature's "fireworks" - the blazing sunflower.
(*photo credit)

July 4, 2023                                            Recalling America's Blessings  

            Independence Day comes so quickly after Memorial Day that we are caught often by surprise. Still, this is a suitable time for a variety of visits, trips, picnics, fireworks displays, and other forms of festivities; all well and good, but maybe there is something more.  On Thanksgiving, civic piety calls for prayers before the main meal and perhaps even a thanksgiving service at church on or around the day.  July Fourth is also a major American national holiday, but with limited attentions to how much sacrifice was demanded for that first Declaration of Independence and the uncertainties involved.  Some two hundred and forty-seven years ago our founding parents put great trust in God to help see them through major difficulties.  We have similar serious times today.

           At the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1976, I was a DC resident and able to celebrate at the Mall with one million or more citizens.  What a crowd!  I remember looking to the Federal Capitol and watching attendants frantically hoisting up and down flags that some souvenir hunters would boast flew over the building on July 4, 1976.  So much for distinctions. We parked in a convenient spot near the State Department building and when the fireworks had ended after dark, a sea of returnees was completely filling the street where the car was parked.  We walked a mile to another vehicle and had to come back the next day to retrieve my car.  So much for July 4th celebrations.

            Today, America continues with its heavy debt, paralyzed Congress, and threats to its democracy from the wealthy elite.  We also have a world of uncertain change, a closing window on global warming, fossil fuel problems, lack of migration reform, and a host of social problem areas dealing with abortion bans.  However, we must not allow these to crowd out our own blessings that we need to recall prayerfully.  Many curse little things but fail to discover and acknowledge blessings. This is an anniversary of our freedoms -- speech, press, worship, from unlawful search, though it took a few years to recognize them in an imperfect union containing slavery, biases, and disregard for Native Americans.  We all too often overlook our countless blessings.

           Our blessings as an American people include: universal inoculation programs, a network of relatively safe highways, quite reliable weather reporting and alert facilities, good social and communications networks, affordable Internet service, regular and mostly dependable garbage collection services, 911 rapid responder organizations, plane and helicopter services, reasonably alert police, reliable and properly labeled food, efforts to restrict and eliminate smoking, social benefits for the lower income, food for those in immediate need, a well-regulated militia and military, a long and dependable postal service, and on and on.  Yes, these need a vigilant citizenry to monitor.  But God is the author of all blessings and worthy of our praise and gratitude.

Energetic Independence
By Al Fritsch, SJ

           Many things changed for me in 2022.  My mobility was reduced, gardening became a thing of the past, cooking was something that I could no longer easily do and my driving ceased altogether.  Independence as I had known and lived it was now gone and much of my life’s quality and control were missing.  One solution to this new state of living was to have someone there 24/7, to do the washing and other tasks to maintain and take care of the place.  Moving away from the independence that we so highly valued – is this good or bad?  We have to examine and look at it more deeply than what we originally thought; is it necessarily true that all forms of independence are better?

           Our natural inclination is to favor independence, when one does not have to rely on something or somebody, only on themselves.  But we must look at it honestly, accepting our current conditions of life – and this is difficult.  We can examine the opposite though, not independence, but dependence; when we have to rely on somebody else.  The adult elderly person is often dependent on others for their care and as they age, just about everything else.  Independence is lost and it all becomes about dependence.  If this becomes a burden on loved ones, many would say “I don’t want to live to be 100, when I will need more and more people to take care of me - this is something I do not want.”  

           Yet the opposite of dependence and independence is actually something that we too often never think of, and that is interdependence.  This is where we finally realize that we are not the center of the universe, that we are all connected.  Let’s think of our 13 colonies.  They governed independently and wanted independence from England.  It became evident that they couldn’t just exist apart by themselves, that it was necessary for free trade and governance between them.  And they needed defense and security that was jointly shared, exemplified by Franklin’s “JOIN, OR DIE” cartoon, with a snake cut into eight pieces that symbolized the British colonies.

           Through time we have come to see our essential global interconnectedness and how we are really interdependent on each other, shown by groupings such as the United Nations, the European Union, African Union, NATO or other great groups of people.  The wider that span is, the more need for us to surrender part of what we have to something that is greater.  We enjoy a higher quality of life when we live interdependent on each other.  And therefore we go back again to our aging and that we are no longer independent in a regular immature sense of better than someone else.  This is the opening invitation we have to work with others, as prayerful people with dependence also on God to help change the world around us.  In that sense, dependence has a place to play in this world in which we live -- we each need the other.  We are interdependent, both on God for proper trust and care, and also on each other for ordinary needs of life.  Think about this.

A tranquil place for recreational swimming.
(*photo credit)

July 5, 2023                               Discussing Spectator and Competitive Sports

            The eyes of the world turn on occasions to world athletic events such as international soccer championships or Olympics; these are the instant gratification of people on every continent and have a certain uniting effect in interest and solidarity.   World Cups certainly are better than military victories, for it is better that the world’s focus for a brief moment and find a desire to enjoy talent, no matter which side we are on.  Togetherness has a value amid competition.  Many live in their local worlds and find it exciting to cheer with strangers having similar interests. Should we be critical of such global sporting events?

            Spectator sports are what we all participate in to some degree right now with only a few talented players televised and watched with immense scrutiny.  However, we are the cheering multitudes as though our voices before our TV screen make a difference.  We have our local, regional, and national biased allegiances, even if the other team is better. Boosterism trumps athletic excellence.  Unfortunately, this adherence to patriotic fervor does little for personal physical exercise except for shouting or chanting throats and aching lungs.  Is this really sporting, or is it a possible lucrative show of partisanship and profiteering?  Nerves get frayed, if onlookers are deeply involved in a victory.  But how important is camaraderie?

            Competitive sports today have a universal appeal, or so it seems, for even Pope Francis cheers on football (soccer) teams of his liking.  Certainly a more universal outlook is to see the best team, not one's favorite team, win.  Local favoritism can enhance a community spirit, but one should also applaud the talent of opponents even when difficult to admit.  Spectators can become crazed enough to riot and have in the past shouted for death to opponents in old Roman gladiatorial events.  Today's sports and demands for coaches to win skew attention away from admiring individual talents as in the past, witnessed by ancient Greek laurel crowns.  Today, sports involve lucrative contracts, arenas, and TV rights.  Marathons have become global promotion schemes and media hype is geared to advance the consumer culture. 

            Recreational sports include moderate spectator and competitive arenas.  A greater sports benefit is in the form of needed physical exercise along with a chance to get fresh air and release of tensions.  Through personal choices of sports, we have opportunities to "stay in shape."  Recreational sports can be wholesome, participative, and balanced and need not be overly competitive by nature.  Why defeat others?  One can have as much fun in a wide variety of sports without rendering defeat.  Take hiking, fishing, boating, sightseeing, and many others.  These can be enjoyable and yet we struggle with our own internal demand for completion, not besting others.  Doing things without the added motivation of defeating another allows all parties to come away feeling fine.  Let's opt for enjoyable non-competitive sports. 

Wild huckleberry and blueberry pie. Sylvania Wilderness, MI.
(*photo credit)

July 6, 2023                             Enjoying the Taste of Seasonal Berries

            Among the joys of summer are the multicolored, multi-flavored berries that are found wild or in cultivated varieties during this month of July.  So many varieties grow in our area that we feel overwhelmed by the bounty.  Picking a few berries for my own or others’ seasonal taste is just right, but collecting quarts and gallons becomes labor of a difficult sort -- especially for older folks.  A good taste is enough, and offering some for others to enjoy seasonal berries is a good deed.  Many berries will spoil quickly if not eaten or quickly refrigerated.  They taste best right off the vine.

           Actually, berry seasons differ.  In this area we are past the wild and cultivated strawberry season (May-June) and have gone beyond the wild or black cap raspberry (late June), though cultivated raspberries may come in two seasons, and some of both species (strawberries and raspberries) are ever-bearing during warmer weather.  July is the season of the bramble or blackberry (wild but also cultivated varieties), the wineberry, the bush blue berry at lower altitudes, the dewberry, and the cultivated boysenberry and gooseberry.  The white and dark mulberry trees are also bearing during "high" berry season.  Later will come the elderberry and the cranberry.

            My favorite July berry is the luscious wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius).  These ripe juicy red berries remain on the canes for a short time and their ripening season is less than that of the blackberry (a two-week interval).  Their canes do not have the thorns of the blackberry bramble though the stalks are rough.  The berries are almost hollow and delicate, being meant to be eaten on the spot, for they do not last long after picking; they are of medium tartness and have a distinctive flavor.  They are an exotic species that was introduced and proliferate where allowed to spread unhindered.  Was Thomas Jefferson their first proponent?

           Part of the secret to berry-gathering is to know where the sweeter and higher quality ones grow.  This takes an observant eye and good memory.  The truth is that the majority of wild berries go unharvested even in rather congested areas, because people ignore these gifts of nature and shy from thorns and snakes.  The quality of a berry crop depends on a suitable flowering season (no late cold weather) and on soil and moisture content of the growing place.  So, berry pickers must ride with the annual tide.

            Though ripe berries right off the vine have much to promote, still gathered berries can be turned into a variety of wonderful dishes, such as fresh with sugar and cream, with cold or hot cereal, or baked as cobblers, pies, puddings, muffins, as ice cream toppings, sherbets, as jam, jelly, canned whole or simply preserved in a deep freeze for later use.  It takes art to retain much of the sun-ripened flavor and effort to gather the berries.

Rose pink, Sabatia angularis. Rockcastle Co., KY.
(*photo credit)

July 7, 2023                                Considering College Undertakings today

           Proper reflection for all parties is highly needed when it comes to colleges.  Without such, tuition could become a racket that can saddle people with debt for years to come.  The climbing cost of college education causes a dilemma for many with modest incomes, whether high school graduates wanting to enroll in colleges, middle-aged people desiring career changes, or older retirees who want to complete some further studies.  Much depends on a combination of academic expectations and high tuition costs.

            Wait and see.  A high school graduate who is bright but not overly so, and is lacking an opportunity to get major scholarship assistance and grants, may choose to delay college and seek employment or technical apprenticeship to gain experience.  During this time, one's plans may become more clearly focused and some searching and discussion is in order.  Counselors and school advisors could prove extremely valuable in this phase of life, for far too many launch into expensive college unprepared.  Others who have planned and started a career would be sought for advice.

           Review and refocus.  The person seeking a second career may regard future job prospects as a prime consideration.  On-line and at times low-cost preliminary courses can help narrow choices; extension course, community colleges and even higher-powered courses on line could be helpful.  Physical attendance for non-laboratory courses with all the commuting, parking, and time constraints are not that demanding today; on-line courses and even degree programs are readily available through a short Google search.  Some are asking about the cost of keeping college physical facilities in top shape at high maintenance costs.

           Broaden outlook.  What about retirees who may want a new or higher degree or some cultural program?  Some state programs offer low or no tuition for seniors and retirees (Kentucky's Donovan Scholars Program).  Older people may desire to keep their minds active through courses offered near home, but that may be limited. Again, a proliferating search of Internet can yield results.
Consider courses offered through The Teaching Company.

           Leisurely low-cost college routes of the mid-twentieth century no longer exist.  "College" is costly business and is rapidly becoming a privilege of the brightest or wealthiest, for the prestigious route is narrowing rapidly.  However, the informal alternatives are far more available than in times past and with proper selection in non-college formal degree programs one may regard education as a lifetime pursuit without tremendous up-front costs, with all the pressures associated.  Creative folks could avoid boring classes, association with unprepared peers, and a crippling debt load.  Certainly, motivated people may advance a college course through alertness.  Those who were fleeced by corrupt commercial “college” programs deserve debt forgiveness.

Bumble bee mimic, Laphria genus.
(*photo credit)

July 8, 2023                                  Promoting Geothermal Applications

            We speak much about renewable energy and yet often overlook a small but significant contributor to our total American energy picture: geothermal energy.  This is essentially a renewable energy source that does not always have to be recharged.  Furthermore, geothermal is an environmentally benign, non-polluting form of energy that, once tapped, can be quite dependable and low-cost.  The process of utilizing Earth's heat can be subdivided into two major areas of application: electrical generation from hydrothermal fluids (steam or water), and direct application in residential, industrial and commercial uses such as greenhouses and fish farms; and geothermal (ground source) heat pumps, which are highly efficient, and are regarded as an excellent way to concentrate naturally existing heat without using much if any fossil fuels.

            Electricity generated from geothermal energy is potentially available in various parts of the world.  Iceland gets over one-sixth of its electricity from its geothermal sources, and about two dozen other nations are taking a serious look as global petroleum prices rise.  In 2020 total U.S. electricity production installed capacity from geothermal sources was about 3,673 Megawatts (MW), of which 90% was in California and Nevada.  This is about one-quarter of the world’s total. It is only about 1% of America’s renewable capacity with a potential for immense growth.  A major source of this was from the Geysers (a dry steam field) in northern California.  In part, treated sewage effluent was injected into the geothermal field and replenished steam tapped for power generation.  Western states (UT, ID, OR, HI, AK, and WY) have large amounts of 200 degree plus temperatures at six-kilometer depth and thus are suitable for geothermal utilization.

            Heat exchange systems in residences and commercial establishments have gained in popularity throughout the United States and consist of a 3% annual growth rate and 1.7 million units of which 40% are domestic.  These systems use ground or water temperatures of a minimum of 40 degrees Fahrenheit to concentrate heat through a heat pump.  Actually the application is not new, for the Greeks used geothermal heat to furnish hot baths over two thousand years ago.  The current exchange systems are becoming more efficient, but they do not stand alone; they require other sources of electricity to operate, though at far lower electric use than heating by a resistance heater or cooling by a standard air conditioner.  In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy identifies water-based geothermal heat exchange systems as the most efficient and cost-effective way to heat and/or cool buildings.  Having said this, appropriate technologists still advocate heating through the use of solar energy and cooling derived from nearby shade trees as being even more cost efficient.  Still, geothermal in all its forms is a heating source with a bright future in the age of climate change.

Honeybee on wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia.
(*photo credit)

July 9, 2023                                Welcoming Spiritual Refreshment

           Come to me, all you whom labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.   Shoulder
my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for
your souls.  Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.        (Matthew 11: 28-30)

            During Ice Cream Month we become more aware that the heat of summer can takes its toll.  Amid the humidity we need periods of refreshment, when we are at peace with ourselves and can stop and catch our breath.  Besides, that is what Sabbaths and Sundays are all about.  For times when we think we can continue without a break, we fool ourselves; we need to preserve good health whether physically, mentally, or spiritually.  For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and with summer heat coming on in full force, July is an ideal time to allot periods for refreshment -- for we are human.  We know too many examples of stressed Americans.  Do we have a culture that is overworked?  Do we set aside times of the day or a week in the season to stop, take in the shady place, relax, and forget to plan the next precise moment in the day?

           At this period in early July, I customarily make my annual eight-day retreat.  This is a period of spiritual refreshment in the middle of the busy year.  This is something I always look forward to because it exceeds the daily or weekly pauses with a longer period of rest.  I am always thankful for the opportunity.  It may be the last, as so often Pope Saint John XXIII often noted in his annual retreat notes.  Make it the best as our mortal time span shortens.  In more mobile times I preferred the woods setting within my parish boundaries -- the Red River Gorge Wilderness Area.  With age and infirmity, I must do this at my residence. 

            The soul needs rest as much as the body.  We deliver services, but they become too routine without breaks.  Our spiritual communication truly becomes a two-way street, namely, realizing we both receive from and give back to the Lord.  God is the author of all good gifts and these are so many we need time to catch our breath.  This shortness of breath actually increases with age, for we see ever more vividly all the gifts we have been given.  They are part of being yoked with the Lord.  The road is not empty if we pause to look and see that Jesus is our companion along the way.  He lightens our burdens by being present.

            Doris Kerns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, describes the personalities of Lincoln's cabinet members.  Some, including the President, took time in the day to relax in their own way.  Secretary of War Stanton did not -- and he was difficult to work with.  He was always uptight even though he did a great job.  Like other human beings, we need the breaks that punctuate continued work, and we need them because of our services for other must be of high quality.  Annual retreats are such breaks.  We are blessed that our breaks are taken in the refreshing companionship of Jesus, the bearer of our burdens, and furnisher of our rest periods.  

            We work very hard on and are very serious about our environmental consciousness and the activities that we do. But we should also work on balance in our life. We need moments of free time, moments to rest, and moments to get our mind away from what we're working on, at least for a little while, in order to give us that sense of balance and steadiness in our lives. Think about how to make enjoyable moments available to ourselves in order to enhance our lives. First, we look at the personal level, what I do with myself, as opposed to other people. We could have our own hobby. I had one in which I calculated the amount of energy it takes for an ordinary person to live during the day. And that was a puzzle that I tried to figure out on my own, in my free time. That is, we can have things we do on our own, that we enjoy very much. Therefore, we get the moment we need to get away from things and simply put ourselves in a better order.

           Well, that's one way of looking at the world, but it's not the only one. We also deal with other people. We have partners in our life who generally work with us on many issues, and sometimes they do not have the same perspective that we do. I may want to have a moment of quiet, steadiness, and free time; they may not. However, over time they may see that it's necessary to have alone time, and therefore actively support it. And so the partnership can be one in which two are not necessarily enjoying the same type of activity (whether it's a game or a hike or something else), but rather letting the other do their thing, and do it well. That's a contribution that makes all feel better – a true partnership. We can look at this more broadly when we're part of a team of multiple people, playing games and competing with each other in some ways, like cards, sports, status, etc.

           Being competitive can be fun; however, it can also be negative. They tell us that people do not want to referee sports these days, because there's just so much anger in some families who feel their kids are not being given a fair shake. A neutral party is awfully hard to find. My mother was a fierce competitor, until one day when playing croquet, she reached over and could not hit the ball where it was supposed to go, and she said, that's it! She threw down her mallet and never returned to the game again in her life. That was her competitiveness and she loved it, but I grew to dislike competition because I knew somebody always had to lose. I disliked seeing people lose or even pretending to lose, as sometimes is done with children. So, that aspect of our culture is something to think twice about, mixing our free time with that of larger numbers of people. Perhaps too many folks at a time causes problems, and it's better to do things in a very simple or straightforward manner, with very few.

Besides dealing with human beings, we can look at this another way. For instance, many of us have pets and we get deeply involved with them; at times they seem to like us, playing with a certain enjoyment, and they know they do. So it is with different animals in our life, including beasts of burden such as horses or mules. These animals become part of us in one sense; they make our world richer and increase our appreciation for life. Really, more effort should be made to examine this, and the phenomenon of 'comfort' animals.

           But it's not just the animals; with increased sensitivity we can enjoy the plant world itself. I'm convinced that if you go out into a garden and sincerely admire and tend it, the plants are aware of it and therefore grow better. I think "green thumb" is the proper term for a person who has a gift for growing plants, and actually prospers with those plants. My Aunt asked once if it was wrong to talk to plants? "I don't see why not," I said. We talk to animals, why not talk to the plants too? This relates us to the world and both plants and animals can be partners in our free time, allowing us to grow and benefit. We could also try talking to the Lord, and this deserves an entire reflection. We talk to God, and this dialog is to our own benefit; it enriches and deepens our free time. When we open ourselves to the Lord, the world opens too, and fills with endless opportunities for enjoyment.

Retreat cabin in rural Kentucky setting.
(*photo credit)

July 10, 2023                           Choosing a Retreat within Nature Settings

            Where one decides to make an annual retreat has much to do with its successful outcome.  I say this hesitantly, since many traditional retreat houses will consider this an anti-commercial.  So be it!  Questioning the raison d' être of expensive retreat settings is part of my radical agenda.  A well-heeled place surrounded by manicured lawns and affording ample well-cooked meals only enforces the consumer culture in which we live -- and thus for the greater part means catering to the business and upper income strata of society.  Why not find God who created natural things, for a short while apart from distracting human artifacts?

            Nature gives a completely different perspective for our annual auditing.  It may be necessary in change of life circumstances that we seek assistance of a spiritual director, and his or her convenience demands special site choice.  But in the routine years, how can we consider assisting our poor brothers and sisters in a higher lifestyle retreat setting?  Virtually impossible!  If retreatants remove themselves in a segregated fashion from the poor too distantly and thus regard the unhindered circumstances as places to find God, they could be disappointed.  A retreat is where one meets God and we ought to consider meeting God where our neighbors are.  Yes, if nature's creatures (animals and plants) are neighbors to us all, then we are meeting God in natural settings, if we look out and see.  Let’s remember that even excessive artifacts could distract us.

            Granted, some retreatants may want to stay in a room or chapel the entire retreat and let others make the beds and do the cooking.  So be it!  However, a majority prefer to move about a little, and natural settings offer the invitation to avoid human congestion.  Actual movement and periods of rest in the woods is an excellent alternative.  We could stop and gaze at a single ant hill to gain perspective.  Moderate exercise in fresh air and sunlight keeps us refreshed and could help us improve our prayer perspective.  Some who prefer hiking retreats find a totally new outlook and are moved to gratitude for greenness of forests and blueness of sky overhead.  Backpacking retreats may become too exerting and limited strolls are not hindered by a heavy pack, just the bare hiking elements of lunch, water, and rain gear.

           Choice of a natural site will also include simple location, lower cost meals, and rustic lodging.  Simple food fare is utterly important, for feasting during retreats is not attending to personal spiritual needs.  Even a certain amount of human "grazing" in the wilderness establishes our sense of place when we eat berries grown in the area.  Choose a place that is simple, but good for reflection, for some places are more conducive than others.  If you wish to tent, there are many parks, camps, farms, and out-of-way places.  Tenting gives us a closeness that built-up places simply do not offer -- though take enough matting for restful sleep.  Yes, do consider a retreat in a natural setting.

Quiet pond for reflection. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Ravenna, KY.
(*photo credit)

July 11, 2023                              Transporting People Can Be Problematic

           People move from place to place in their mobility, but this freedom does not come without resource costs in the transporting mode.  None of us want to stay in one location all the time; we do like to be human and move about.  To say "stay at home," when the urge is high to move about quickly and conveniently gives this a hollow sound.  Vacationing, studying, working at a distance or hiking always involves exertion.  When we grow old and become more immobile, the change in scenery is sorely missed.

            Modern human travel involves fleets of cars, trains, buses, and airplanes, and the first and last are quite resource intensive.  We hear the advertisement that it takes one gallon of fuel to move one ton of freight by train 450 miles.  My, that is resourceful!  However, if I weigh one-tenth of a ton and drive 450 miles in my fuel-efficient hybrid, it still takes 115 times the fuel in contrast to that freight train.  Well, it takes less if using public transport means.  Yes, humans are not freight, but energy to drive or fly in various ways consumes fuel resources.  

            The world is rapidly moving to an automobile economy, as China has abandoned the bike and is now the world's number one auto purchaser.  Is that really a good thing?  What about all the petroleum, even if their autos are fairly fuel efficient?  What about the growing traffic jams that all global urban areas are now experiencing?  Do emerging countries have the infrastructure to meet private vehicle traffic demands?  The U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated that costs of traffic jams amount to $65 billion each year and include 2.3 billion gallons of fuel and 3.7 billion hours of time.  What about a world of such traffic?

            A plentiful supply of petroleum is being drilled today, but how soon will the electric car come?  We must move as quickly as possible away from the combustible engine, but this takes precious time.  Delay is hastening the day of catastrophic climate change, for we are all aware that a major portion of energy costs is in transportation of people.  Certainly the electric car is promising, but curbing the use of fossil fuel is not moving fast enough.  Too much influence in energy use is still in the hands of the fossil fuel profiteers, even with greater efforts at investment by auto manufacturers to make electric cars and trucks.   

           Our ASPI solar car of three decades ago was recharged by electricity from solar panels while it was parked; that was seen as offering some sustainable human transport promise.  Let us consider the many vehicles used to take people to work.  If these are electric, then the parking space at institutions could be covered with solar panels to recharge the vehicles in large numbers.  In actuality, energy efficiency, car pooling, public transport systems, working at home, and walking and biking are all ways to use less fossil fuel for transport.  These all need consideration today.  Certainly, people will keep being mobile.

Tulip poplar flower and leaf, Liriodendron tulipifera.
(*photo credit)

July 12, 2023                                       Discussing Alternative Biofuels

            Climate change fuel choices must focus on low or no carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Several exist with both good and bad effects when treating the internal combustion engine before it is substituted by the electric one.  Early in this century the EU wished to make biodiesel (from waste cooking oil and virgin sources) 6% of the total energy mix in the next decade; this was received in horror by those knowing that palm oil production could drive deforestation in Malaysia, Indonesia and other tropical lands.  At the same time Brazil wanted to power four out of five of its transport fleet fueled with ethanol derived from its homegrown sugar cane -- and thus remove it from the food shelves.  All the while the corn growers in the U.S. relished the mandate to use 10% and higher ethanol content (from corn) in the massive American auto fleet.  

           Palm oil, sugar, and corn are ingredients in basic foods for hungry people -- and the competition for use in inherently wasteful internal combustion engines seemed "corny" to some, to say the least.  Using waste cooking oil for fueling vehicles has at least some beneficial effects; gathering waste cooking oil from a variety of restaurants and food processing industries is time consuming and of limited amounts.  The inconvenience is gladly undertaken by advocates or "green biodiesel missionaries;" these true believers strain waste oil and use it in diesel-burning cars or trucks; the fuel runs well with no engine damage and emits the pleasant fragrance of a McDonalds' kitchen.

            Ethanol, proposed formerly in auto fuels to raise octane ratings, accounts for over a quarter of recent years' American corn harvests, and fuel demands keep corn prices high.  However, agricultural waste by-products such as straw or corn stalks are a far better (by social justice standards) source of ethanol than corn.  New methods are available to use fungus that can decompose the straw into basic sugars and separate this from the lignin for fermenting into alcohol.  Unfortunately, it is only slowly becoming a commercial competitive fuel source.  Undoubtedly, higher production scale means lower prices.  Business interests are striving to introduce a variety of cellulosic-sourced fuels.

            Native fast-growing plants like switchgrass (a weed in common terminology) and short-rotation woody crops like poplar trees could be produced on reclamation sites and marginal lands in much of the American Heartland and South.  This would be an answer to using fertile agricultural lands for petroleum alternatives.  Some of these plants grown to produce liquid fuel would not require fertilization or pesticide control or tillage, and would not be a net increase in the economic life.  While sounding good, still combustion is not a solution to global warming.  Stable forests improve total stable biomass.  Let's promote renewables to charge batteries on electric vehicles as the true auto future.  

Neatly planted rows of emerging blooms.
(*photo credit)

July 13, 2023                                       Affirming Global Child Health Care

            The great majority of the human race that is now alive either were not born or too young to remember the beginning of the 21st century.  Yes, we elders have to consider half the world's over seven billion as "Youth."  Healing our wounded Earth can be partly but not totally performed by adult caregivers, but these youngsters will become the adults in only a few short years.  Their health is of utmost importance, if they are only too soon to become the health providers of our wounded Earth.  Furthermore, their wellbeing is a global concern, even though much of what needs be done to keep them healthy must be accomplished locally.  This is most evident during the coronavirus pandemic. 

            Consider eating habits. Step into a fast-food establishment and watch youth (and elders) chomp the burgers and fries.  How can we influence proper choices for proper body development?  Where will they learn about fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains except in homes, schools, and the media?  The health of American youth involves refraining from junk food and choosing good balances that will avoid obesity and related ailments.  Banning sugary soft drinks in homes is a good start.  What about those who do not have nutritious diets, suffer from malnutrition, and go to bed hungry each night?  Especially what about the 12 million orphaned by AIDS in Africa and over five million young Ukrainian refugees and displaced people?

            Consider general health care.  A majority of children throughout the world get proper vaccination for numerous illnesses, but this rather low-cost child protection is not available in certain places in the past few years because of fear of pandemic virus inoculation procedures by parents or local authorities.  Several diseases considered almost conquered have reappeared (such as polio), due to break down in health systems.  The World Health Organization is striving to keep vaccination programs available for children everywhere.  Protection against all forms of tropical diseases that cause blindness and other crippling effects could be eliminated with proper funding resources, if medicines and distribution were available.

            Consider proper exercise.  Obesity is rampant in America and among youth of other affluent nations.  A more sedentary life among youth attracted to videogames and texting adds to the threat to their physical health.  Average non-farm youth today are not getting the amount of exercise we experienced as farm youth.  Certainly, the possibility of good health is better when youth do not have to work from dawn to dusk in a factory, as often occurred in the 19th century.  But, on the other hand, those sitting before a screen and pretending to be doing some sort of exercise are living in a dream world.  Older youth with free time on their hands are tempted to drugs and forms of substance abuse.  Much of what is today going for military expenditures would yield far greater security, if funds were funneled to health care for young.

Fields of grain, solitary poppy.
(*Photo by Arne Winter, Creative Commons)

July 14, 2023                                     Threshing Grain Memories

            Hot mid-July brings back memories of harvesting grain in early youth around the time of the Second World War – though few now live to share those experiences. The farm tools of eighty years ago are now displayed in museums: the scythe, corn jobber, corn sheller, and grain thresher.  One of the great agricultural social events of the summer was threshing wheat and other grains. It actually became a gala celebration, for neighboring farmers and hired hands worked and enjoyed each other's company especially during the gigantic noon meal.  

            These pre-grain-combine days during the Second World War were county events that occurred when there was no precipitation during those humid mid-July days. We always prayed for good weather, both on the threshing day and the week preceding it, for the grain had to be dry.  The harder part of the total operation involved the cutting of the wheat by a horse- or tractor-drawn binder; this made bundles of wheat, which were stacked in "shocks" in the field.  The threshing itself was less exerting than the cutting, at least from a youthful standpoint, as we enjoyed free time between the loading and unloading of each horse- or tractor-drawn wagon.  The workers were talking and laughing.

            The center piece was the cumbersome threshing machine with its large pipe for blowing the straw onto a straw stack created by the occasion.  Mr. Lurtey, our school driver, was the thresher owner and principal operator.  These mobile devices were originally driven by a steam engine, but in our time the large tractors were run with diesel or gasoline.  Our state law says such a machine could cross other people's property to get to the site, for in roadless country moving the machine from place to place was a challenge. 

            I will never forget Skinny, a hired man at the farm next door who was a perfect showoff.  He liked to drive his tractor and loaded wagon of wheat sheaves up to the thresher with his arms folded while he controlled it using his feet touching one or other of the two tractor brake pedals.  Mr. Lurtey, who was concerned about the safety of his precious thresher would show a face of pure alarm as Skinny's wagon approached.  

            And then came the big noon meal.  Pans, soap, and towels were set out on the cistern top and everyone could wash their hands, arms, and face before feasting.  Women folks (a number enlisted to help Mama) would prepare chicken and a lot of the seasonal vegetable dishes including new potatoes, cucumbers, beets, green beans, and fresh tomatoes.  There would be blackberry, apple, and peach cobblers for desert and plenty of lemonade and coffee.  The lunch talk was filled with laughter and good cheer, for the meal would end with a return to the hot field.  Since our threshed wheat was a good quality, some went to the local feed store as seed; the rest was stacked in the barn in sacks for animal feed.

Common ragweed, valuable wildlife plant, native to Kentucky.
(*photo credit)

July 15, 2023                             Reaffirming the Abolition 2000 Statement

            A secure and livable world for our children and grandchildren and all future generations requires that we achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and redress the environmental degradation and human suffering that is the legacy of sixty years of nuclear weapons testing and production.... We urge the states parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty to demand binding commitments by the declared nuclear weapons states to implement these measures:

1. Initiate immediately and conclude negotiations on a nuclear weapons abolition convention that requires the phased elimination of all nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework, with provisions for effective verification and enforcement.

2. Immediately make an unconditional pledge not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons.

3. Rapidly complete a truly comprehensive test ban treaty with a zero threshold and with the stated purpose of precluding nuclear weapons development by all states.

4. Cease to produce and deploy new and additional nuclear weapons systems, and commence to withdraw and disable deployed nuclear weapons systems.

5. Prohibit the military and commercial production and reprocessing of all weapons-usable radioactive materials.

6. Subject all weapons-usable radioactive materials and nuclear facilities in all states to international accounting, monitoring, and safeguards, and establish a public international registry of all weapons-usable radioactive materials.

7. Prohibit nuclear weapons research, design, development, and testing through laboratory experiments including but not limited to no-nuclear hydrodynamic explosions and computer simulations, subject all nuclear weapons laboratories to international monitoring, and close all nuclear test sites.

8. Create additional nuclear weapons free zones such as those established by the treaties of Tlatelolco and Rarotonga.

9. Recognize and declare the illegality of threat or use of nuclear weapons, publicly and before the world court.

10. Establish an international energy agency to promote and support the development of sustainable and environmentally safe energy sources.

11. Create mechanisms to ensure the participation of citizens and NGOs in planning and monitoring the process of nuclear weapons abolition.   <www.abolition2000.org>

Star chickweed, Stellaria pubera.
(*photo credit)

July 16, 2023                              Reflecting on Sowing and Reaping

           Other seed fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.          (Matthew 13:8)

            Sowing and reaping are different activities leading hopefully to the same goal: a fruitful crop.  In cases where sower and reaper are the same person or families, then we still detect mood changes in the starting and finishing operation.  At the start of the growing season, we are never sure whether the seeds will sprout, adequate rain will fall, and the plants survive and prosper through to ripening and harvest.  Even at the golden time of fruitfulness wind or hail could damage or destroy the crop. 

            The sower is investing in precious seed in hopes of that multiplying effect, which for many poor and small farmers is the difference between plenty and scarcity.  The vulnerability of being at the mercy of weather and other elements is greater in the early growing season.  As a successful growing season culminates, the mood of the harvester changes to one of cheerfulness, even when the operation is hard labor.  Joy and excitement begin to fill the air at harvest time.  Generally sowing involves a single person but, in simple rural societies before combines, harvesting included entire families and neighbors as well -- a major social event.

            Spiritual life for each of us individuals is also like the growing season.  We start with the beginning of our growing season of faith in the pains of a mother giving birth.  This was followed by the joy of spiritual rebirth in Baptism along with hopes of advancing in age and wisdom.  We weather the somewhat unpredictable storms of childhood and adult years and find the detours and rough edges of life.  During the mature ripening season, we take or miss the opportunities of assisting our neighbors in need.  The golden years produce the seeds of our love for others and this involves the happiness of knowing we are doing God's will.  In due time we pass on and hopefully leave a legacy of good will.

            Spiritual life of a community has much the same moments as do individuals.  Sowing and starting something include the concern as to whether it will endure.  Often in communities, the maturation involves lifetimes and so those who sow are different from those who harvest.  Jesus says, For here the proverb holds good: one sows, another reaps; I send you to reap a harvest you had not worked for.  Others worked for it; and you have come into the rewards of their trouble. (John 4: 37-38).  Often, we find it hard to even estimate when success is achieved and so reckoning is left to God, for outcomes may be seen in a different divine light.  Certainly, within a vital community growing season we can become sower and/or reaper; we accept what is needed at a given time, for all laborers are to be thankful of the privilege of being able to work for the Lord.  Whatever happens we are to be worthy laborers.

            Improvement is necessary in our life, but especially so if we are already involved with the environment.  We think that we’ve done everything we can, but really we can make some improvements and changes that will make a very big difference.  Let’s go through a list of various things that we could consider as important, and try to see the various options and whether we fit into those categories.  Most likely one or two areas will be in focus for us, and others we may simply omit as outside our capacity or talents.  

            The first area is substance control.  Now, substance control could mean the abuse of substances, such as tobacco or alcohol.  But it’s very important for us if we’re going to improve our environment, to think in terms of the total human environment that we are involved with, and so often substance abuse can occur to the people who want very much to be good environmentalists.  Can we look at ourselves?  Where do we stand on the use of ordinary substances?

            The second area is to enjoy nature.  Go outside as often as possible, watch the sunset arrive, see the mountains, take in the trees as they change, or the birds that are crowding on the feeders nearby.  Try to remember in some way that nature is all around us, and our love of nature is what gives us special enjoyment.  This is something that we should continue to try to improve on, because it allows a balance in our life, one in which we are better able to be of benefit to others.

            The third area is to focus - focus on a particular issue.  We can say, I don’t do this area of conservation or recycling properly and I need to think of this, that and the other thing.  Maybe that’s too many.  Try just one.  Try to change one thing in our life to make it a little bit better, and it’s better than to try to change more than one and getting all lost in the process.

            The fourth area is to purify our motivations.  You may say, well, my motivations are always good.  I’ll try as best I can to work with others I share some ideal with, and therefore be motivated by that sense of well-being that a group brings.  But is that a good enough motive?  Should we be trying to save our wounded earth, and would this be a major motive?  Perhaps we have a number of motives within ourselves and we’ve got to go through a process of figuring out what they are.  Maybe we need a retreat, or a time in which we sit down and try to parse things out.  What is needed is to make a better world.

            The fifth issue is to keep our minds open, learn from others and find out what they’re doing as far as the environment goes.  We can admire their work, support and encourage them, of course, but also take on some of the same habits that they have, because it’s important for us to learn that if each of us tried a little harder, we can improve ourselves collectively and individually.

            The sixth area is what a lot of people fail todo - read.  There is a massive amount of literature out there, and many periodicals and articles on the environment, but few people really go into depths of reading these articles.  All of us should probably spend more time and do a little bit more reading to see a big picture.  Make this an issue in which we try to think about how to broaden our vision of what is needed today.  (To be continued in Part 2 - below).

Elegant moth on window.
(*Photo by Sally Ramsdell)

 July 17, 2023                             Hoping That China Doesn’t Follow American Ways

            China will soon move from second place to leader in the economic world and dominate the 21st century.  We hope Chinese imitate America in some ways such as personal freedoms, but not all ways.  Hopefully, China will NOT follow our consumer practices lest the world will be severely damaged by the environmental consequences.  Unfortunately, in our materialistic global culture it is the wasteful ways that are followed.  China has a very noble and ancient culture and needs the spiritual resources to distinguish the good from the bad.  The world cannot afford another U.S. and there’s four Chinese for each American.

            * Don't enter our private auto economy (even though you are now number one "auto market" in the world).  Private internal combustion vehicles take enormous amounts of metal and plastic to produce and rubber and petroleum to operate -- along with highways, parking spaces, and service stations.  Continue to improve your mass transit systems and hope we follow.  Don't decimate farmland into housing and then spend hours commuting from home to work.

            * Don't go fast food.  Preserve your excellent cuisine (my favorite).  Rising income and busier schedules make it a temptation to eat burgers in hurried moments between work sessions.  China now consumes more meat than the U. S. and any other nation, but that's expected with four times the population. Why follow fast food's habits, for grain-fed cattle take much more resource than simple veggie/grain meals?  Champion less resource intensive foods.

            * Don't excessively heat and cool.  We Americans have developed a low threshold for discomfort, namely, hot in summer and cold in winter.  We heat excessively in winter and that is unhealthy as are our cooling practices in summer.  That is a costly resource practice that we wish on no other, especially when weather conditions between China and the U.S. are so similar.

            * Don't expand indoor space requirements.  We Americans doubled the interior space in residences, commercial establishments and educational institutions (per capita space) in the past four decades.  Thus, this resulted in increased demands for construction materials and cooling/heating energy.  Digital purchases remove the need for spacious big box stores.  Trends here are for more space in educational, worship, entertainment, and work facilities.  Why?

            * Don't become a throwaway culture.  We Americans dispose of used computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices as newer substitutes appear.  The same holds for clothes, furniture, and vehicles, for paper of plates and cups, and for two dozen items from each fast-food lunch.  Remember that plastic decomposes at a slow rate.  Disposing chopsticks could denude the world's forests.

Following her friend along an Appalachian road.
(*photo credit)

July 18, 2023                           Challenging Appalachia: Positively and Negatively

            Some well-meaning people plan conferences and workshops to highlight Appalachian regional problems.  I do not disparage such efforts for they are well-intentioned.  However, ultimate success depends on several factors worth mentioning, for to say wrong things can produce negative effects in a region in desperate need of assistance and dialog.  Authentic development and improvement must be promoted.  Here are some points for discerning:

            * Appalachian weaknesses can be listed (drugs, mountaintop removal, forest mismanagement, etc,); damaged conditions can be accepted by those who are determined to promote charitable giving to "helpless people" by those with an inflated sense of the power resting in giving to an underling.  Over-emphasis on weaknesses destroys the credibility of those who want to stress the region's strengths; this can become a disservice to everyone.  Furthermore, most of the reasonably informed know a host of regional problems; that is a no-brainer.  How is listing the "cry of the poor" helpful?  Perhaps by reflecting on the Scriptural emphases we would discover that the cry is meant to sensitize the affluent as much as to fulfill an authentic need on the part of those voicing the lament. 

            * Appalachian strengths do not have near the media power as emphasizing bad news.  All too often ignoring weaknesses and emphasizing strengths comes as a surprise to people more intent on reinforcing traditional stereotypes.  For instance, focusing on traditional hospitality refutes the stereotype of isolation, feuds, and clannishness.  For years some of us have put far more resources into promoting strengths, even amid the problems of the region, e.g., Appalachian Sensations: A Journey through the Seasons.  The basic Christian message is one of "Good News:" Christ loves us and saves us; we show love in return by doing good deeds for and with others.

            * Audiences are crucial to the ways we speak.  Insider to insider tells what is needed interiorly in the region, for frankness must be made explicitly at the right times and to a prepared group of activists.  Insider messages to outsiders does not mean for them to stay away, provided they refrain from bringing chain saws and gigantic earthmovers.  We welcome tourists as a key to improving our economy; we invite back returnees as a way to spend retirement benefits in their home -- a payback opportunity.  Outsiders to other outsiders can be a time to promote sustainable forms of development in the region, but only through investments when and where insiders have a role to play.

            Much depends on how one conceives a conference or workshop.  It all depends on what is the goal of the event and to whom it is intended.  Certainly, Appalachia needs assistance from other well-meaning groups and individuals.  However, meaningful action can be achieved, but it takes a delicate balance by all parties.  

A ladybird beetle, scaling a garden fence.
(*photo credit)

July 19, 2023                           Exposing Negative Security through Guns    

            Brassica Books contains a book from a decade ago called “GUNS: Giving Us Negative Security.”  The basic thesis is that guns made us more insecure in their present form and that is contrary to what the Second Amendment of the Constitution desired.  The founding framers never conceived of current military gun weaponry, with their automatic or semi-automatic capabilities – and that a mass of unregulated citizens would have access to these weapons.  Amid all the horrible mass killings in America by users of these guns, it is time to review how our current security needs and how weapons are celebrated, used, discerned, reconsidered, and spoken about.  Here community security is at stake and individual “right” to own military weapons must be seriously questioned.

           Americans have misinterpreted the national constitution to consider guns as an individual preserve (rather than a social one), thus allowing vast numbers of citizens of all descriptions to be armed, often with automatic weapons.  This cache of three hundred million weapons is essentially uncontrolled and subject to the whims of many people who have no business with guns of any sort.  The constitutional "well regulated Militia" that is to be the security of a free State has been infringed upon by greedy individuals bent on a private arms race that intensifies with each mass killing in some part of our fair land.  Differences have become so great that America is being held hostage by millions of bullies with guns.  Unfortunately, this mentality is a national one with its vast array of military hardware bent on making the planet a safer place -- a materialistic mirage by amateur weapon-holders. 

           The emerging consensus in areas of great threat is that the insecurity generated by unregulated gunowners is damaging the quality of life of the large majority, many of whom do not have weapons.  One misplaced and highly influential lobby (NRA), in coordination with weapons producers and traders, attempts to bully the public into the absurd belief that arming more and more is a means to security.  However, the opposite is really the case.  Guns in the hands of the wrong people can turn all, from youngsters to elders, into individuals too afraid to voice their fears.  Presence of many guns in wrong hands destabilizes our communities and weakens the trust we have in our neighbor.  This condition cries for communal discernment and resulting action.  As in other civilized nations, gun possession and use must be strictly controlled at the governmental level.

            Safety demands that we see that the community right to bear arms is a social, more than an individual, right as witnessed by the conflict at Lexington, MA in 1775; it was community arms (in a dispensary and not individual ones that brought the British troops.  They realized that police and military are the primary securers of our safety, not armed individuals.  We have weak laws that do not render a secure gun-free environment for everyone.  To view our ideas please go to:
<www.brassicabooks.com/guns>.

A "weedy" purple dead nettle, Lamium purpureum.
(*Photo by Sally Ramsdell)

July 20, 2023                           Experiencing a Moment of Grace: We Are the Poor

            Identifying with the poor is never easy to achieve, and yet we hear the Lord speak plainly that to remain rich endangers our salvation (easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle).  We have several degrees of approaching the goal of being poor in spirit, which we must continue to reflect upon on our journey of faith.  A socially addicted society includes our realizing our own weakness to bring about change without divine help.  A truly humble person is close to our wounded Earth and realizes limited power to act.  However, the realization becomes a moment of social grace wherein by finding others we can strive to speak together in one voice -- and within our admitted impoverishment we discover power -- that of the risen Lord. 

            The lowest level of impoverishment is the insensitivity of the affluent.  Such folks think themselves holders of deserved goods through their own fictitious efforts or privileges to which they are entitled -- and for them "the poor be damned."  In fact, the damnation is more heavily directed to the insensitive, and to overlook this with some tepid excuse that the poor caused their own condition is not in accord with a Christian environment.  This attitude separates us from God and is only overcome by accepting the grace to look about, to hunt out and see the poor.

            The second level is one of compassionate approach when and where we enter into the lives of the poor, not just in attitude but through charity and good will; this includes praying for the poor and volunteering time and effort when and where possible.  Here the distance separating de facto differences is narrowed, but not eliminated.  Most people prefer this level, for it seems preferable for them not to have to "smell like the sheep" in Pope Francis' terms.  This stage avoids full identity.

            The third level is one of identity, and in a true sense we are destined to experience it at least at the moment of death.  Several ways exist to reach this level in the time that remains for us. One could move into a poorer community of people and give up all goods and be perfect as the Lord directs those seeking perfection.  A second way does not involve dramatic physical change, but emptying ourselves of material possessions for the benefit of the poor, seen as our brothers and sisters. 

            This identity in which we can say "we the poor" is one of poverty of spirit and is certainly not meant to be pretending in any manner.  We show gratitude for God's gifts that we do not really deserve; we share them with others for they are merely our temporary stewardship.  And we identify with those too powerless to act alone because we are part of an addicted culture.  Our social impoverishment hits us with force.  We cry to God, the cry of the spiritually poor, while seeking ways to share with other poor folks in our midst.

Gentle blossoms of the black locust in May.
(*photo credit)

July 21, 2023                           Discovering Black Locust: Weed Tree or More?

            It was my father's favorite tree (Robinia pseudoacacia), maybe because the locust fence posts would resist rot so well, or because the trees grew so rapidly and fixed nitrogen in our rocky limestone soil.  For whatever reason (I never asked), he planted these in our front yard, and there they grew to maturity; they were not really good shade trees with their rather thin leaflets, but for one week in early May the black locust would become glorious, giving off their fragrant flower clusters that resembled other members of the legume family.  In fact, the landscape of the traditional locust growth range (mainly southern Appalachians and Ozarks) explodes with blooms and their wonderful scent.  Bees and hummingbirds pollinate these trees; their pods are wildlife food.

            After May, the black locust clusters in woodland and fence rows slip back into near oblivion.  Or do they?  Not so, for virtually every mid-July they are the first to lose their leaves through a leafminer blight, and one can tell this month of the year by the locust's brown and dried condition in the woods.  In a short while they will become defoliated.  And they are susceptible to other diseases, as well as cold weather damage when planted in northern regions.  Frankly, the locust tree is not really beautiful, for the branches have small thorns and the bark is gray to light brown and heavily ridged and furrowed like woven rope.  Mature trees can reach eighty feet high, but more often younger shoots are short-lived, for they are early in forest succession.

            Locusts can propagate from suckers into thickets in all types of soil except swampy areas.  We find the black locust among stands of yellow-poplar, white oak and northern red oak.  Really locusts are intolerant to shade and only take hold well where openings appear in the forest cover.  The black locust is a pioneer tree, usually human influenced and generally short-lived and seldom maturing for saw timber quality.  Also, the locust is a favorite for shelter belts and land reclamation, either by volunteering naturally or when planted.  Locusts are good for erosion control, for the roots are shallow and wide spreading (soil binding) and still have the ability to become deep rooted and thus resist drought; a few or a cluster may become a minor part of the ultimate canopy layer.

            Besides the long-lasting fence posts, the taller and more mature black locust trees have been used for mine timbers, poles, railroad ties, ship timber, boxes, crates and novelties.  Beekeepers will set hives in clusters of black locusts, for the honey is prized.  The black locust is regarded as superior to other hardwoods for developing wildlife habitat on mine spoils, and the shoots are food for the deer.  I always regard the black locust as an example of our humble state and they teach us lessons of doing well at times of blossoming, and then recede into the wooded crowd.  Such is the calling of the black locust -- and is similar to ours as well.  

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A hot July stroll along a country lane.
(*photo credit)

 July 22, 2023                          Turning Once More to Dangers of Nuclear Weapons

            The morality of nuclear weapons production, retention, and use has been discussed for decades, but seldom in conjunction with nuclear power generation.  Here are some introductory questions:

            1. Justification -- Was the peacetime use of the atom conceived in the guilt of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima?  Was nuclear power ill-conceived due to failure to address the waste issues associated with power generation?  Does nuclear medicine justify nuclear power generation?

            2. Security -- Were the bomb programs continued for internal security purposes and yet leading to basic global insecurity?  How can weaponry secrets be kept out of the hands of thieves, terrorists and rogue states?  Is the retention of stockpiles of nuclear weapons a manifestation of inherent insecurity?  Does this lead to a possible confrontation with Iran or North Korea? 

           3. Duplicity -- In tolerating nuclear weapons for some and encouraging nuclear power facilities apparently for all, is there double-dealing in our national policy?  Isn't the way we treat the total nuclear enterprise duplicitous?  Is Israel's nuclear program overlooked while attention is given to Iran?  What about the manner bomb-holding North Korea is treated?  Does failing to address a nuclear-free Middle East spring from this attitude?

            4. Power -- Does the sense of power in producing and possessing nuclear weaponry extend to nuclear energy facilities?  Are these forms of god-like dominance?  Does this concentration of power erode our democratic values as a people?

            5. Complexity -- Is nuclear technology so sophisticated that it defies control by a democratic people, leading to maintenance by a highly experienced elite?  Are controls of the weaponry program progressive "militarization" of peacetime uses of the atom?

            6. Transparency -- Are there hidden forces at work in the intertwining of military and peacetime use of the atom that erode world peace efforts?  Are commercial enterprises inter-connected with military buildup and ventures?  What about the right to know where current military nuclear programs are going?

            7. Alternatives -- Are the mining, processing, and enrichment of uranium for military "necessities" extended to the nuclear power areas?  Does this governmental nuclear power support distort the level playing field of alternative renewable energy sources?

            8. Proliferation -- Is nuclear proliferation inevitable unless we bite the bullet and become totally nuclear-free, both militarily and with respect to nuclear power generation?  Are nuclear weapons and nuclear power joined in an unholy alliance?

A quiet moment along the Chaplin River, KY.
(*photo credit)

July 23, 2023                           Realizing Weeds Teach Us Tolerance

           The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world; the good
seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the weeds, the subject of the evil one; the
one who sowed them the devil...         (Matthew 13: 37-39)

            Jesus had an agrarian audience in his day, and our gardening experiences can come in handy during the post-Pentecost Matthew Gospel readings.  This specific parable is about the sowing of good seed and then someone comes at night and sows weeds in the field.  Certainly we realize that weeds sown were meant to disrupt the harvest.  We know that the term "weed" is used loosely and can mean such freely grown and non-cultivated native plants.  Likewise, weeds can be extended to undesirables such as dandelions in lawns or to native pokeweed that some seem to fear due to hazardous side effects.  The weeds in this parable grew alongside, but do not harm grain plants unless an attempt to root them out.

            Meanness occurs in the deliberate introduction of a weed that can compete and frustrate the desired grain harvest.  Frustrating Jesus the good sower is the work of the evil one.  Interestingly, we as a perverse culture are more tolerant of those who are atheistic (also perhaps the work of the devil) than those who believe that there are demonic powers seeking to divert our efforts.  We discover "weeds" in our consumer culture that are the captivating material products we are tempted to buy; these are weeds that must be avoided by all who seek to come closer to the Lord.  Tolerance calls us to avoid violent means of eradication (ripping out the weeds in the growing field).  Rather, we are confident that grain (spiritual blessings) will come to fruition even with weeds present.  

            We testify to the ripening of good seed (Good News).  Weeds are distractions and good seed an essential for spiritual growth.  Our tolerance is expressed in the process of growing in the spirit.  We are immersed in the world where the effects of the evil one can be seen through prayerful reflection; however, the confused media proclaims that these effects by the weed sowers are the "success" of the current socio-economic System.  This is to be refuted in a public fashion; blatant acts of sowing weeds must be confronted when committed.  Facing evil effects of what has already been sown requires democratic procedures for coping -- not the intolerance of authoritarian rule, no matter how tempting it seems to follow that course.

            It is difficult to be tolerant, but with faith that truth will ultimately win, as in the conclusion of this parable, then we can succeed.  Through faith we know that God's Kingdom will come through love and triumph over evil -- but as for now we must face the fact that false allurements are real and need to be challenged, along with our ability to remain faithful to the Lord. 

           Here are some additional measures to improve our ecological consciousness (see Part 1, above, last week):

           The seventh area is one we rarely think about - do not waste food.  The simple fact is that many people leave things on their plate to show that they are full, and therefore do not need to eat more.  This is a cultural tradition, but it isn’t necessarily the best one.  We know that many of us, when we reach the point where we can’t eat another bite, we leave it.  But should we have picked it up in the first place?  This is a question we must constantly ask ourselves, because wasting food is a major problem in our country and world.

           The eighth area is to practice what we preach.  Now that can be said in different ways, but what we’re talking about here really is our consumer culture.  Our friends, our relatives and others may plan to spend a day shopping; many people enjoy this activity.  But the best practice is to use less and try to conserve what we’ve got, use the things we already have and use them better.  

           The ninth area is to join others.  We can join groups.  I’m not against joining different environmental groups and so forth, but know why you would join them.  There should be a reason for it.  Maybe it’s because we want our local area to do better.  Perhaps I can contribute more by being a member of this group.  But remember, don’t do it just because joining an organization makes us feel like better environmentalists.  That doesn’t necessarily follow.  Therefore, think twice before you join, or if becoming a member, participate.

           And when we do make our decision, remember the tenth area and stay grounded – touch and be touched by the Earth.  Go outside and do some gardening, put something into the flower pots; make sure you touch the soil, with which we all live.  This is very important for us in everyday life, to always be in touch with Earth herself.  Therefore, gardening is an important area, and most people do not get to do all the gardening they would like, but at least do a little bit more if possible.  

           The eleventh area may seem obvious, and that is a recycling.  What’s more can we say?  We know what needs to be recycled in the world in which we live, whether it’s plastics or paper or other areas, some of which will be collected locally, and others not.  Strive to recycle as best we can.

           And of course, the final area is to use renewable energy where possible.  Of course, most of us try in some fashion to do this in our own life, but sometimes places do not have good solar coverage and therefore can’t support a solar device.  But they could have an open lawn or someplace where they can actually dry their clothes outdoors at times; that would be using the sun too.  Think about small actions like this, as well as larger efforts such as obtaining an electric vehicle.  Maybe we do not have the money for that right now, but at least I can think in terms of how to best use resources.  How can I maximize my renewable energy use and get away from the fossil fuel economy that we are so intrigued with at this time?

           Think about all these 12 and many others.  How can we improve?  We’re all capable of it and this is an opportunity for us to give ourselves a little more time to do and be greener; not greener in the sense of being a star environmentalist, but greener in the sense of being sort of refreshing, like springtime.  Let’s do something that gives us a real sense of the growth that’s needed ahead of us, and thank you for your efforts.

Chipping sparrows, creatures of the air, bathing after summer rain.
(*photo credit)

July 24, 2023                           Celebrating Amelia Earhart and Her Story

           When they (women) fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.     Amelia Earhart

           The famous pioneer American aviator, Amelia Earhart, was born 125 years ago today in Atchison, Kansas.  From earliest times she developed the urge to follow male flying enthusiasts.  After high school she served as nurse's aide in Canada during the First World War and then attended college.  She perished in a world-circumventing flight in 1937, and the whereabouts of her crash site somewhere in the vast Pacific Ocean has been disputed and written about numerous times.  She had already broken some women's flying records including being the first to fly to an altitude of 14,000 feet, the first woman to fly with others across the Atlantic (1928), and the first to solo the Atlantic (1932).  As time went on, she sought still more records and wanted to do it as a trail-blazing woman's model for others with adventurous goals.

           Nothing seemed to stop her, for Amelia was drawn ever more tightly into flying ventures and by the desire to excel in the many challenging feats.  For her anticipated 29,000-mile aviation journey around the world she was accompanied by a navigator, Fred Noonan; the two completed all but the final 7,000 miles across the Pacific.  The two left Lae, New Guinea, heading across the vast ocean on the longest hop without landing -- a span of 2,556 miles to Howard Island with hardly anything there but an airstrip.  The two emptied out all the non-essentials and added as much fuel as possible (200 plus miles to spare).  However, on ascending, the plane ran into foul weather, forcing Amelia to fly low and it cost all the extra fuel supplies; they radioed difficulties and then lost contact.  The entire nation was waiting and anxious to know the outcome, and so this disappearance resulted in the largest sea and air search ever undertaken (until the Malaysian missing airliner search in 2014).  The plane's loss devastated a nation.

            Amelia's attempted feat when global communication was in its infancy and airplanes were little better, is why we regard her and her act as that of a heroine.  She was not trying the impossible, for others would come along under better circumstances and complete her venture successfully.  What makes her a heroine is that she attempted so much with so little at such great risk. Amelia Earhart taught women and also men that we too must attempt the challenging, even at great risk that projects (healing Earth) may not be achieved in our own life time.  It's the sower (see July 16) who has the greater task and greater courage -- and Amelia was a sower in primitive aviation.  She showed courage and leadership to the many who would come after her, people endowed with instruments that were advanced technologically, along with better communication systems.  But in such challenging areas as saving our wounded Earth we need Amelia's courage to bring us to successfully complete the serious work ahead.

Quiet walk around Hematite Lake. Golden Pond, KY.
(*photo credit)

July 25, 2023                                       Taking a Pilgrim Journey of Faith

            This is the Feast of St. James the Apostle, and we are reminded that pilgrims by the millions from the Middle Ages on into our times have taken the route through Europe to Compostela in Spain.  At this location was an ancient Christian cemetery, which tradition held contained the remains of the apostle James.  Recall that sacred pilgrimages have their place in our cultural traditions and are worth reflecting upon today.

            * Pilgrims must be persistent and tenacious.  The goal is far up ahead along with a journey of toil and possible risk.  Life is not all by air-conditioned luxury fare.  It involves road grime and a certain taxing of nerve and physical energy to complete the task intended.  Really there is no looking back except to give an orientation as to where we came from with respect to our goal.

            * Pilgrims trust in God.  All trips have risks attached and these are more than endurance tests of our will power and physical stamina.  They are prayerful exercises, in which God enters into the journeys' process.  We cannot complete our tasks ahead without the help of the Almighty.

            * Pilgrims are resourceful and pay attention to the road, see the sights as they unfold, and yet are preoccupied by thoughts of the destiny ahead.  These are directed to goals requiring hope that victory is yet to come, but it takes effort to reach goals.

            * Pilgrims are alert to the unexpected.  Pilgrimages are no time to be lethargic and carefree, for they involve missions for each participant, and these must be completed in limited time.  We remind ourselves to keep a prayerful focus and attention, straining on like runners in a race.

            * Pilgrims look about for companionship, for the journey is arduous enough; others are also suffering as they move along beside us.  Our constant companion is the Lord himself who walks with us.  Opening oneself to share with other pilgrims is also a way of easing the burdens on both oneself and the other.  Together, the two or so can ease the loads and add to the quality of the trip.

            * Pilgrims are serious and occupy the mind with meaningful and not frivolous activities; it is the time to praise and thank the Lord for the gift of mobility.  Dissipation distracts the pilgrim and tempts one to give up.  Throughout history, pilgrims sang hymns and gave time to uplifting thoughts. 

            * Pilgrims learn about their precious time; their journeys seem long but are actually short spans that pass quickly and soon will end.  Joy emerges and becomes apparent when the shrine or goal is reached -- a symbol of our respective journeys of faith.

Black rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta, in barn.
(*photo credit)

July 26, 2023                           Deserving Our Respect Extends to Snakes

            A while back in Kentucky a long-time snake-handling preacher died from a snake bite.  What a sorry mishap!  We recall that naturalists have a difficult time convincing people that snakes are good and loveable creatures, if not mishandled or irritated in some manner.  Maybe it is the connection with Biblically-described evil in the form of a serpent that fashions the general population's abhorrence or fear of snakes.  Perhaps it is the ending of St. Mark's Gospel dealing with snake treatment, that makes the snake-handling phenomenon persist in Kentucky. 

            Most people know that some native snakes are venemous and will strike back if cornered or stepped on -- and may not like being displayed in church services.  The general ambivalence about snakes made it difficult when I directed a nature center on the Rockcastle River with its venemous copperhead snakes in the valley and rattlesnakes in hills above.  We cautioned to be on the lookout in wilderness areas.  We reminded visitors to watch their footsteps and that snakes do not seek out people, but would rather remove themselves from human presence as much as possible.  In fact, most snakes are quite shy and are more alarmed by our presence than we are by theirs.  We strived to keep paths cleared for walking and hiking, but never denied that a variety of snakes are present.  We never had a snake bite problem during my time there though we saw numerous snakes. 

            I think much of snake fear is unfounded and actually obscures our seeing snakes as friends willing to control the rodent population.  Snakes are quite charming and beautiful and can even be regarded as pets under certain circumstances.  Snakes are graceful and agile; they are able to enter and leave from very small apertures; they sleep all winter or at least make themselves scarce; and they only rarely get near where people congregate.  Actually, we found that snakes enjoyed sunning themselves, especially in when early autumn mornings were frosty and afternoons were warm.  It took tolerance to let them be themselves and step over them.  Letting them live was a real advance in my own attitudes, for in youth we killed venemous copperhead snakes on sight.

           Yes, respect snakes, for we need to appreciate all nature not just cute or fuzzy creatures.  Snakes invite us to understand their niche in the great chain of being; snakes can draw our attention with little effort. Snakes become our windows to broader nature; they beckon us to encourage all who desire to be closer to the environment to overcome cultural fears and feelings of uneasiness about wildlife.  Many people definitely fear snakes and spiders and hornets, and it is difficult to change their views on wildlife.  Others have a sense of curiosity and want to learn from these creatures.  Building on that willingness to learn when introductions are gentle can be a way of overcoming fears based on cultural bias.  Snakes help us grow with respect to all creatures.

"Bubby bush" - Calycanthus floridus, common Appalachian garden shrub.
(*photo credit)

July 27, 2023                               Proclaiming God's Gift of Peppers

            For some of us, peppers on the vine are a sight to behold.  I once grew sweet peppers that actually hung over the sidewalk of one of the busiest streets in Washington, DC but did not lose a single one.  Perhaps people didn't realize what they were and thought them decorative.  Or was this the forbidden fruit to Adam and Eve?  Was it lost by misuse and rediscovered by Columbus and crew who renamed it "pepper," thinking it the source of the East Indian spice (Piper niger) -- that is, the black and white pepper used as a condiment.  This misnomer, like "Indian," has remained.

            The amazing part of the strange pepper story is that the Western Hemisphere pepper, while quite different in biological classification from the East Indian plant, still was globalized through Spanish and Portuguese influence and became part of Asian cuisine.  Our Western "pepper" is in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and is an authentic contribution from the Hemisphere that includes tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and petunias.  Common pepper varieties are the Capsicum annuum that includes our mild bell peppers, paprika, and jalapenos (Chipotle chiles from Mexico) and Capsicum frutescens that includes Cayenne pepper (from the river in French Guiana) and tabasco.  The latter is what we know as red pepper, which we also use as a condiment.  

            In our American gardens we grow a variety of peppers, but the most popular are mild varieties of sweet peppers including the favorite large bell peppers, which are green when immature and red when ripe; these are crisp and juicy in texture and used in a variety of meat and other dishes.  However, American garden peppers cover a wide range of heat and color variations going from yellow to green to red and even to purple.  Their heat content figures into our selection and is the measure of the amount of chemical capsaicin present.  Pepper heat intensity is measured through Scoville units with the pure chemical at 15,000,000 and the hot habaneros at 300,000, and what mild cuisine eaters would find intolerable at 4,000.  Beware!  Hot pepper lovers risk heat but know that peppers are not harmful, if one endures that initial heat (caliente).  We discover that hot ones can be followed all the way through the digestive track, if you monitor food movement.

            There is some controversy over heavy pepper eaters and stomach cancer rates, and yet we all know that peppers within foods can kill harmful microorganisms and that they are generally loaded with Vitamin C, so there are differing opinions on health and harm.  The truth is to eat in moderation -- especially peppers.  Let's all be our own judges on what is too hot for the taste.  Cooking can both moderate and preserve flavor.  We then select peppers according to the spicing of favorite dishes, soups, pastas, and sauces.  As we welcome the 2023 pepper season's fruit, let's consider how we select our produce and how we choose to eat them, for they are truly God’s gift to us.

Turkey tail fungus, Trametes versicolor.
(*photo credit)

July 28, 2023                             Coping with Impending Catastrophe     

            As we endure the heat, we affirm that climate change is a reality.  We shun those who deny or ignore this change, even as their numbers shrink.  We refuse to become a Chicken Little and say the sky is falling.  Or is there an in-between state that shows vague concern for future generations, knowing full well we aren't going to be around when grandchildren face environmental problems?            Denial is out of the question when 98% of scientists say that climate is affected by anthropogenic factors.  Those who deny the coming happenings are either deliberately dishonest or so much in the hire of the profiteers of this land that they are no longer able to make moral judgments by themselves.  Prudence, often an overlooked virtue, calls for action.

            Chicken Little is based on faulty phenomenon and with little regard for what to do except resort to panic, and run about like chickens with their heads off.  Undue fear will cause some to grasp for the status quo because advocates of change are unpredictable, whereas profiteers are programmed to greedy operations.

            Vaguely concerned folks are about as dishonest as those who are the fossil fuel profiteers, for they do not portray the seriousness of the situation.  They allow merchants of denial to dredge up opponents of human-generated climate change; they quote statistics to show the world in times past (before humans) got warmer or cooler and so we are due for more changes in climate, both now and in the near future.

Truth has a special impact if stated boldly and firmly.  The truth makes us free!  A deep authentic spirituality looks out for our neighbor in every way and we know that climate change will affect many, and especially the poor who could lose their homes due to flooding, or their small farm due to drought.  Most people do not want to admit their thoroughly secular position that after they die nothing else exists; thus, why should they worry about a future generation when they will not be around to be affected?  Secularism has little to say about future provisions for unborn generations; that is its utter weakness and horrible danger.

            An authentic concern for neighbor is not a major issue for materialists, who promote the almighty self and let others fend for themselves.  Caring for impoverished future groups mean rebelling against a captivating capitalism in which we currently find ourselves.  However, those committed to sharing with others are called to become ever more effective during this troubled time.  We can only heal this wounded Earth by collective action, not individual elites with new ideas.  If we work together and trust in God's grace, we can stop the tragedy before it becomes unstoppable.  We need not work from fear, but the love of the poor -- present and future, who will suffer from climate change.  We are quite capable of being successful if we trust in the Lord.

Calypso bulbosa, Calypso orchid.
(*photo credit)

July 29, 2023                                 Promoting Literacy Training

            Illiteracy is a problem both at this time and throughout history.  In the ninth century the great Charlemagne was essentially illiterate, though a great promoter of learning.  Far more often it is the unknown millions and billions of people who have gone through life unable to read and thus somewhat handicapped.  Perhaps today one-tenth of all Americans and greater proportions in other parts of the emerging world lack the liberating experience of being able to read. 

            One response is to regard literacy teaching as a worthwhile and productive work that demands more compensation than what many literacy volunteers receive today.  The second is to discover those who hide their inabilities and bring them gently into the reading public.  Both willing readers and learners would take literacy training more seriously, if financial resources were available to couple student and teacher.  The goal is to create acceptable opportunities for those who want to read and those who are willing to teach.  This can only be done by liberating the capital or financial resources that can come through fair taxes.

            Cultural or functional illiteracy is another problem, or the loss of reading skills due to TV and failure to read newspapers or periodicals.  The functionally illiterate get what news they receive from electronic voices or word of mouth; they may expect loved ones to translate the required governmental documents for them.  The results of such a large number of culturally illiterate are a superficially informed public who say "What's the use?" but in their heart of hearts crave the ability to read with ease.  Entertainment becomes a non-reading exercise; time is spent watching TV, and books are for libraries, of which the majority of Americans evade.  A generation of the "practically" illiterate is only saved by the fad of texting that makes both abbreviated writing and reading essential to connect with friends.  The simple and earnest illiterate never had a chance to master language; the one who learned some and has ceased to read pretends to be literate with only scraps of knowledge and incomplete information. 

            Facing illiteracy in all its forms is one thing.  Getting the person to spend time with books and in-depth periodicals at some part of the day or night is another hurdle that TV's dumbing down discourages.  The best way for the lapsed reader to become literate again is to take the easy step of turning off TV for periods of time.  It seems so simple, but for the electronic addict it can be difficult.  If need be, get rid of it.  At least an addiction to the Internet requires some reading and becomes an advantage.  Little surpasses the well-researched book or periodical for learning about the problems in our world with sufficient time to digest what is read.  Encourage the "returning literate" to subscribe to good periodicals and give some time each day to reading -- and that should include Scriptures and spiritual reading as well. 

Fresh peperoncini peppers.
(*photo credit)

July 30, 2023                               Acquiring Treasured Resources        

           Every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder
who brings out from this storeroom things both new and old.         (Matthew 13:52)

            The parables Jesus is speaking about today tells of a merchant who stretches the limits of his personal resourcefulness to acquire a very precious treasure that he comes to learn about, or a very precious pearl worth focusing all on acquiring.  It is not that we are to be materially greedy for such possessions, but that we are to learn from the manner of these merchants how to acquire something valuable -- to use spiritual resources at hand.

            Today we discover material resources being acquired and squandered in greedy ways so as to endanger our wounded Earth. Our calling is to become healers of Earth and that means gathering together not just book-learning and experience (always needed), but all the humans who become resources working together in the vast healing process.  These become the hidden treasures discovered and requiring links and encouragement as part of the healing team.  The needs are immense; the people willing to help need encouragement at this time.  The key is our coupling of need with people -- a major problem because this takes ingenuity and our own sense of sincerity and resourcefulness. 

            We have to present a balanced message and yet it is not an enticing one of comfort and convenience.  The message is one of a difficult healing task with no full assurances that the efforts each of us make will mature in our own lifetime.  We find a risky task that could be scoffed at, and some will try to persuade us that we are wasting our time.  The Lord is calling us to do something that is old -- serving the needs of others -- and something that is new -- healing a wounded Earth through the power of God working within us.  We must seek no profit except of spiritual value and thus must seek to purify our motivation. 

            Agents of change are the treasure, not economic things; the right small group at the right time can change the world.  Anthropologist Margaret Mead says, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.  The resourceful quest is to find these breathing nuggets of change, some of whom see little hope or change at this moment.  They are often hopeful enough to wish to do some good, but they lack the added energy it takes to find like-minded folks who will join in the immense task ahead.  They are old in their hopes that unite with that of ancestors who wished for the best; they are new to the tasks ahead and need to see the urgency of the moment and to see this within a community of like-minded people.

Hoary puccoon, Lithospermum canescens. St. Ignace, MI.
(*photo credit)

July 31, 2023                           Joining St. Ignatius and the Environment

           We Jesuits and others like to set this last day of July aside as a time to remember the special deeds of our founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.  St. Francis of Assisi saw all creation as friends; St. Benedict directed attention to hospitality and communal work and prayer; Quakers and Amish champion simplicity, Buddhist meditations, and primitive religions show respect for the fragile world around us.  But what about specific Ignatian contributions?   We discover his thrust of prayer and Spiritual Exercises -- a strong action-oriented record:

* Ignatian prayer is grounded in the HERE and NOW.  In reflecting on the Lord and the divine mysteries, we place ourselves in a setting of time and place; thus, we become more deeply aware of how our environment fashions our stance before God and neighbor -- a time and place sensitive spirituality;

* Ignatian prayer focuses attention on a single person, Jesus Christ, who is also the perfect ecologist.  We find in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection a model for healing our wounded Earth; and

* Ignatian prayer is open to all God's creation.  In his administrative years Ignatius went out at night and gazed to the heavens in contemplation.  Let's always praise God in all creation as have all who have borne the name “Jesuit.”

                       God's Grandeur
           Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ (1844-89)

      The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
         It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
        It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
      Crushed.  Why do men then now not reck his rod?
        Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
      And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
        And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell; the soil
         Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
      And for all this, nature is never spent;
       There lives the dearest freshness deep down things:
         And though the last light off the black west went;
         Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs --
          Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
        World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

            Ignatian degrees of humility can be applied to the environmental actions in which we are involved:

            First Degree -- Always use respect and never damage air, water, or land through pollution or waste precious resources;

            Second Degree -- In doing repair, be willing to find new ways of improving reclamation and appropriate technology projects;

            Third Degree -- We cannot act alone, for our cooperative endeavors must look beyond as poor folks needing trust in God.

           Ignatius was humble before God’s creatures; so ought we.