Thoughts From the Day After Easter

Family,

On the Resurrection Day two of the confused disciples took a walk to the little town of Emmaus, met the Risen Christ on the way and experienced renewal. On the morning after Easter 2019 (Earth Day this year) this tired pastor took a walk in the East Bay Regional Parks, observed the Creator’s glory and experienced a moment of joy.
Fittingly, when I got this home there was an email from Allison containing this prayer from the Climate Action Network.
We Hold the Earth
We hold brothers and sisters who suffer from storms and droughts intensified by climate change.
We hold all species that suffer. We hold world leaders delegated to make decisions for life.
We pray that the web of life may be mended through courageous actions to limit carbon emissions.
We pray for right actions for adaptation and mitigation to help our already suffering earth community.
We pray that love and wisdom might inspire my actions and our actions as communities. . . so that we may, with integrity, look into the eyes of brothers and sisters and all beings and truthfully say, we are doing our part to care for them and the future of the children.
May love transform us and our world with new steps toward life.
As we pray for the well-being of creation let us also pray for the well-being of the people of Sri Lanka following the deadly terrorist attacks there.
The Reuters news agency reports, “Sunday’s attacks were the worst ever against Sri Lanka’s small Christian minority, who make up just 7% of the 21 million population. Theravada Buddhism is Sri Lanka’s biggest religious group, making up about 70% of the population. Hindus and Muslims make up around 12% and 10% of the population respectively.
The attacks are Sri Lanka’s deadliest act of violence since the end of the country’s 26-year civil war in 2009. The war is thought to have killed between 70,000 and 80,000 people and ended with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, who had fought for independence for the Tamil minority.”
This Thursday – Sunday Pastor Tanner and I will be attending the Annual Gathering of the Alliance of Baptists at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington D.C. This year’s theme is “What is Liberty Without Liberation?”
Sandra Lee will be the preacher at LABC.  Her sermon title is “No Longer Invisible,” with a Scripture text of Psalm 139: 13-14. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Peace,
Jim H.