Now, after the tumultuous welcome of the 20 remaining living hostages, it seems that Israel has not kept its end of the bargain, shutting its gates to Gaza relief and killing six Palestinians by gunfire as they were inspecting what was left of their homes. On the other hand, Hamas claims it is difficult to find many of the bodies because they are buried under the rubble. To say that the cease fire is fragile is an understatement.
Meanwhile, the administration is flexing its muscle with other issues, including at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), consisting of 176 countries which set rules on international shipping. The US walked out because of proposed rules to have companies pay for their pollution to fund the creation of cleaner ships. The US answer is to slap tariffs on countries that support the measure.
This is how the wheels of government work during a shutdown. The Senate keeps trying to negotiate health care issues and the House is closed so Mike Johnson doesn’t need to swear in the new representative from Arizona who has pledged to sign a demand to release the Epstein files. It seems like we’ve forgotten all about that issue in the midst of Gaza, but it’s still there. Oh, and the shutdown also threatens the 42 million Americans dependent on SNAP funding for food. Will we have Gaza here at home?
Prayer for the Day
Hearing familiar stories O God, that tell us how to serve you,
We nod in agreement thinking we would cross the road;
It’s easier when the stories are about times that are distant,
And we don’t have to draw the connections to us today
Grant that we live like true neighbors caring for others,
The many who need our help and assistance.
In the name of the One who shows us how to care,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
We had about a million pounds of food that were cancelled that we were expected to be distributing right about now. A million pounds is 25 tractor trailer loads of food.
Ryan Brisk, operations vice president, Feeding Westchester (NY)
This is a real crisis right now, and I wanted to make sure I heard directly from people in New Jersey, and make sure that they know I’m keeping them in mind as we’re going through these negotiations right now.
Sen. Andy Kim at Harbor Diner, Egg Harbor City, last week
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.
Isaiah 33: 2