Monday evening, I attended a reception for Bishop Tom Barnett of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone (ELCSL). His soft-spoken manner cloaked the mighty mission of that church body which seeks to serve a country recently emerged from civil war. Their amputee project helps their fellow Sierra Leoneans while they also support refugees from neighboring Liberia. Our family has long supported the young church and believe they are doing wonderful things. (We also think they are good stewards as the church continues to use a blue Plymouth Voyager our family donated about ten years ago!) The ELCSL is currently constructing the Jubilee Center in central Freetown as a visible witness of the church's commitment to serve this impoverished country in faithful witness to our Risen Lord Jesus!

Peace and Love

I recently attended a production of "Love" -- the Grammy-winning musical adaptation of Beatles' music with the intriguing staging of Cirque du Soleil. Though slow-starting (IMO), it eventually played frenetic homage to the Beatles and some events of the era when the music was composed. And there was a Volkswagen Beetle! (Always a good sign in my book.) Close to the end, as the musical approached a raucous crescendo with "Revolution," huge words appear on one wall -- "Peace and Love." Then the words fragment and various letters begin to cascade down like rain. Art.
The show was overall amazing and worth attending (IMO again). When I saw those words though, I thought of Jesus as a much earlier proclaimer of "Peace and Love," especially I guess because of the texts from the Gospel of John (not Lennon) that we have been reading during Holy Week and Easter: the Great Love Commandment (John 13: 34,35), Jesus' immediate post-Easter offering of Peace (John 20: 19ff.), and this Sunday's text "This is my commandment, that you love one another ...." (John 15:12).
The Beatles once famously/infamously claimed to be more popular than Jesus. I suppose their music is famous indeed, but the message of Peace and Love from God in Christ preceded and (IMO) will outlast those four lads from Liverpool, The Beatles.
But we can all share the hope that "Peace and Love" will rain down on our world.

Tuesday, April 21 -- a couple of hours prior to the last post

Tuesday, April 21 --
A couple of hours before I wrote the previous post, my son, Alex, broke his ankle while bicycling. After getting off from their pizza delivery jobs at like one in the morning, he and his roommate Nathan go cycling through the dark streets of Arlington and Grand Prairie. Mom and Dad wish for safer choices (like wear a helmet!). But in this case, no late night reveler hit him; there was no bicycle stunt gone bad. No, he just stepped off his cycle and something went wrong and he twisted his ankle and then lost his balance and snap! His foot was limp and off center by 90 degrees and the distal fibula cracked. He rode by ambulance to the Emergency Room and got his foot set the right direction, but they only splinted the break. Mom flew off to Laredo to speak to librarians. Dad went to teach class and take care of church stuff. Several hours later, Alex awoke in agony, informed me of the situation, and we began the process of chasing down doctors and referrals and dealing with insurance. The swelling subsided and just today the break was finally repaired -- screws and plates.
Thank God for modern medical care, for dedicated medical personnel at all levels that addressed his needs and are helping Alex to mend! He should be able to cycle again relatively soon (but wear a helmet!). We are not sure, if he will ever be able to waltz. (That would require extensive lessons, as he has never tried before.) (That was my sorry attempt at humor.)
I do thank God that we are "wonderfully and fearfully" made. It was amazing to see the intricate design of how the ankle snugs up into the leg bones with ligaments wrapped to secure it. We humans are an amazing creation.