Moral Theology, Flooding, Fires and Festivals: I'm Back

When a Creek Becomes a river: Flooding in Indiana

Well it has been over a month since my last blog. I don’t usually take such long breaks. Usually my breaks are in terms of hours or most a few days. However, it has been a challenging summer. I was teaching a course two nights a week. I had not taught that course before so there was prep time. The bigger challenge is the other two nights a week I was taking Moral Theology.

Now that was a challenge. We read about Pauline Moral Theology, about the Patristic view of Moral Theology, St. Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics, the Nomalists, Trent, Casuistry and Vatican I and II. All of this while each student was responsible for leading two discussions and completing and presenting a term project.

My final project was on the Catholic position on torture. I will write about that in the coming weeks.

Now I know all you other students are thinking, “Oh, poor baby had to read and do some homework!” I’m just saying I didn’t blog because I had to DO my homework. Well, the term is over and I’m back.

I don’t even know where I will focus in the coming days. So much has occurred while I was tending to my own garden. The disaster situations in China and Burma are still just that. Kenya struggles with healing. Zimbabwe is an insult to the democratic process, the world tries to support the opposition but it is not easy.

I have been called by the American Red Cross to respond to numerous disasters but cannot at this time. Tornadoes and flooding have ravaged the center of the nation while the West is dealing with non-stop Wildfires.

Back home in Indiana we have had Greek Fest, German Fest (of which the Catholic community plays a significant role), Fiesta, more activities at the Old Fort and we are preparing for the Three Rivers Festival. The center of the state is under water from flooding, our neighbors to the West are dealing with flooding from the Mississippi River.

Even closer to home, our fraternity of the Secular Franciscans is adjusting to change. We have had elections. Our past leaders look rested and happy, our new leaders look excited. I am in the enviable position of being a newbie so I don’t have to worry about being responsible for anything, just taking it all in and say “thank you”, so “thank you”.

So, yep there is plenty to write about. The challenge for now is to focus, focus. So I will do the only sane thing, I will go walk my dog by one of our rivers.

The Flood of 08: Columbus Indiana

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