We’re not supposed to be a third world country. Tell that to the residents of Jackson, Mississippi, which along with Texas also got the winter blast. The city pipes, many almost 100 years old, have broken due to the cold. Where is the Governor Tate Reeves who says he stands for all of Mississippi but has provided nothing for the infrastructure of aging pipes in the Black areas of Jackson?
Communities of color are suffering disproportionately from the winter storm in Texas and Mississippi. The breakdown of the potable water supply is a warning for us all. We cannot just brush this off as a freak storm of nature, for those freak storms are more and more common.
God calls us to be stewards of the creation not exploiters. Our repentance during Lent and afterwards must be one that helps us see our neglect and exploitation of creation that will come back to bite us all.
Prayer for the Day
We have not yet begun to love the earth you gave us, O God,
For we have hurt your creation in our pursuit of wealth;
Only when raging storms come upon us do we respond,
And then only to apply band-aids to the deep cuts of our neglect.
Forgive us, O Creator, the harm we have inflicted
And empower us to repair the damage we have caused
In the name of him who cherished the earth,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day.
The stories we tell about who we are as a nation, and the values that define us, are not fixed. They change as facts change. They change as the balance of power in society changes. Which is why regular people, not just governments, need to be active participants in this process of retelling and reimagining our collective stories, symbols, and histories.
Naomi Klein, activist
The world will not be destroyed by evil people but by those who sit back and watch.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws,
Violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.
Isaiah 24: 5-6