An Ice Storm Attempts to Interrupt Christmas

Ice Storm Dec. 19th, 2008 Fort Wayne

So where have I been? I certainly had a lot I wanted to blog about. I wanted to blog about the Third Sunday of Advent or Rose Advent. I spent it at a Croatian Church in Joliet Illinois. I wanted to talk about the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I have been busy. I drove to Joliet for a Christmas family gathering. The next Monday I was in Bluffton for a site visit. I went with Cathi and we walked around this beautiful town in a heavy snow. It was perfect Christmas weather. Two days later we were in Lagrange Indiana for another site visit. Afterwords we went over to Shipshewana, an Amish town. So, I had so much to blog about. That is not even mentioning world events. So, what happened? Well…

On Dec. 19th Fort Wayne was hit with an ice storm. 124,000 people in the greater metro area lost power, 58,000 in Fort Wayne lost power. We were one of those folks. Our entire neighborhood was without electricity. However a limb from our neighbor’s tree fell into our yard and also took out our power lines and cable. That meant when our area got power we didn’t.

So... for five days Cathi and I lived at home using our wood burner for the first time. The house was freezing, we could see our breath and cat food froze solid. However, we stayed put trying to keep some warmth in our house so our pipes would not burst. We were successful. A friend of mine did not stay in their house and they had burst pipes and flooding in every floor of their house.

The city looked like a combination of magical beauty and devastation. Ice covered everything so when fire trucks rushed by the block sparkled in red, when police rushed by the trees reflected blue ice. However, trees were down everywhere. The sound of crashing trees broke the silence over and over again. Everywhere there was police tape preventing you from walking into unsafe areas. Our campus looks horrible. One day it is a beautiful Franciscan park in the city the next day it looks like it was hit by a hurricane.

Our life was dictated by the sun. By 9:00 A.M. our house was bright and we had to move quickly to do whatever chores we had to do. By 4:30 PM we had to gather our candles, by 5:30 P.M. we had 16 to 28 candles going as we lived in our living room and blocked off all other rooms. We made one pot meals. We slept on the floor with our animals. Cathi knitted, I read and wrote. It was so quiet and by 8:30 PM it felt like we had been awake for 24 hours.

At 2 P.M. Christmas Eve we got our power back. The house warmed up and we got to see what a mess we had made living in the cold dark. That night I went to Mass and reflected on a very unique Christmas season. Christmas Day evening I worked 12 hours at our local American Red Cross shelter for the folks who still had no power.

First we had freezing weather, than rain, ice, snow, wind (cold as in 1 degree with wind-chill of-25 degrees) and then two days ago it was 60 degrees out. We are now facing possible flooding, what a winter!

It was only this morning that we finally got phone, television and internet. I know 2 weeks without these modern “necessities” is not a trauma. I am watching the Middle East, Congo, and Wall Street. I know this was just an inconvenience. However, it has made for one of the most unusual holiday seasons of our life. And now it is time to read my e-mails, blog, respond to e-mails, watch the news, watch Animal Planet, and remember candle lights glowing and the power of silence.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from boring old Fort Wayne!


Ice Storm in Fort Wayne View From a Car
(There is actually a brief drive by the University of Saint Francis on the drivers side near the end of the clip)

World Human Rights Day observed in Fort Wayne

Today is the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. There was a time when we were at least the self-proclaimed protector of human rights, we considered ourselves the measure of how a nation should treat humanity. Well, a lot of fear and things change. Today the United States joins those nations that are the subject of observation and comment by Amnesty International and the International Red Cross. I pray this is a temporary situation.

I know that many Americans are critical and out right suspicious of the United Nations. Not me. I think it is not better or worse than the intentions of its member nations. I think most nations can make wars but we find out quickly that it usually takes the U.N. for Peacekeeping and nation-building.

Twice during my undergrad days I represented my university at the National Model United Nations in New York. We used the U.N. chambers, we had a cocktail party with delegates and we interviewed workers at our related embassies and consulate general offices. I admire what the UN is capable of and am not surprised when they miss the mark.

Well, today I would have liked to participate in our local observation of today’s anniversary. However, I am a student and I had to hand in a paper and take a final. I think I did pretty well. I also missed the ceremony at Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Fort Wayne. I felt bad for the church. I figured it would be a poorly attended event. Then I drove past the church on my way home. There was no parking to be found for blocks. I though there was a concert going on downtown. I would have liked to have been there but never-the-less I am proud of my town.

The days of the Cold War are over. The world is a more brutal place to live. Mighty nations and poor desperate nations are resorting to torture and violations of human rights. As the economies of the world gets worse, as environments deteriorate and as nations discover there are no consequences to pay for violating human rights more and more citizens of the world will need our support.

So take some time and watch the videos on YouTube about human rights. Call your congressman, contact your local refugee center, support a domestic violence center. Get involved, your brothers and sisters need you.

Salom
Shalom
Paz
Peace


UDHR 60 Yrs: What Image Opened Your Eyes to Human Rights?

They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love...

I find myself thinking about the people of Sudan and of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I think of the victims of hate in India, Iraq, Egypt and China. I think about violence among faith communities throughout Africa. I don’t have to go that far to be discouraged.

I think about the violence in American cities, the food pantries that are bare, and the inequities in healthcare. Lately the differences between the unemployed worker and the laid off CEO with his Golden Parachute have demanded my attention.

I said all of this could be discouraging. It has always been with us. The question is what are we going to do about it, what is our response? I have been surrounded by too many people who are servants, often silent servants to believe suffering will always go unanswered. I can hurt with the hurting but I am not discouraged.

This video says everything I would want to say and give the answer.

Peace and all good.


They Will Know We Are Christians by our Love

Dignity and Justice for All of Us

"Dignity and Justice for all of us"
An Inter-faith Service
of Prayer
on the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations
Universal
Declaration
of Human Rights

Wednesday, December 10, 7 p.m.
Plymouth Congregational Church
501 West Berry, Fort Wayne

Faith Community Participants:Bahá´í, Buddhist, Christian (Catholic & Protestant), Ethical Humanist,
Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Native American, Sikh
His Honor Mayor Thomas Henry
Representing the City of Fort Wayne

SPONSORS:
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Dr. L. Michael Spath, Executive Director; Peace & Justice Task Force, Plymouth Congregational Church UCC,
Rev. Dr. John Pugh Gardner, Senior Minister; AIDS Task Force of NE Indiana, Mr. Gregory Manifold, Executive Director; Fort Wayne Friends (Quakers);
Fort Wayne Peace Action Network, Mr. Dave Lambert, Director; Fort Wayne Urban League, Mr. Jonathan Ray, President & CEO; Institute for Human
Rights, IPFW – Dr. Clark Butler, Director; Just Peace, University of Saint Francis, Ms. Barbara O’Connor; Peace & Justice Commission, Associated Churches
of Fort Wayne & Allen County; Peace & Conflict Studies Program, IPFW – Dr. Patrick Ashton, Director; Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Rev. Dr. Jay
Abernathy, Minister; Zonta Club of Fort Wayne, Ms. Lois Nellums, President

Pre-service music by Jembe Jam-Fam begins at 6:30 p.m.Ketu Olduwa, Director

The 2nd Week of Advent

This is the second week of Advent. At this time we remember John the Baptist. John the cousin of Jesus. John the prophet who must become less so Jesus can become more. John who may have been an Essene, who may have dwelled at or near Qumran. This loud, attention demanding, dirty and course prophet is our model.

Our model for what? To become less so He may become more.

John announces the coming of the Lord and during Advent that is what we await. John was the one calling on all to repent, to turn their lives around, to go in a different direction.

So, during this Advent as we prepare for His coming are we moving toward Him? Are we willing to become less?

Have a good Advent and go light another candle.

Choirboy William Dutton: Advent Songs of Praise

The Feast of St. Nicholas

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas. Now I know I am suppose to say that Francis is my favorite saint, but before he touched my life there was Nicholas. Everything about the saint’s life is moving. Here is a saint revered by both the Orthodox and Catholics, a saint honored by Protestants.

This is a man who was orphaned at a young age. Here is a man who well before Francis gave up everything to care for everyone else. I don’t know what is legend and what is fact. However, it does not matter, both move me.

The legend is that he secretly gave three bags of gold to a widower so that his three daughters would have dowry. The implications are important. Depending on which story you read the kindly bishop either saved the girls from prostitution or slavery. Equally important here is that the bishop did not want credit for his acts of kindness.

He was a bishop in the East and during the 3rd century. This is important. He was bishop at a time when the Roman Empire was still pagan. He was taken prisoner and he was tortured. Still, he kept his faith and when released continued to serve his people.

His existence reminds us that Turkey was once Christian and not only that but an important center of Christian-Greek Culture. He is the person who history would morph into Santa Clause. Speaking of morphing, if you would like to get an idea of what the real Nicholas looked like go to this hyperlink. It will take you to a site that has used technology to recreate his face, it is sort of like CSI meeting EWTN!

My confirmation name is Nicholas, I couldn’t have made a better choice. When I was in Assisi the foundation of St. Nicholas Church was right there in the piazza. The tourist center was on the site, the forum was under the foundation. I made sure I had contact with the building everyday I was in Assisi.

This month a new movie on the life of the historical Nicholas comes out. I hope it is good, the trailers are certainly intriguing. I look forward to watching it. So, go fill some stockings, go do a kind deed, go enjoy the Feast of St. Nicholas!


St. Nicholas of Myra

Alexei II: The Passing of a Patriarch

Head of the Russian Orthodox Church dies

The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church died, he was 79 years old. Patriarch Alexei II was a priest under the old Soviet Union. He emerged as a bishop and then the head of the Church, a position he held for the past 18 years.

The Patriarch’s career spanned a painful time in Russian Orthodox history. During the Soviet regime the church was persecuted. Churches were confiscated and razed to the ground. Priests were hounded, arrested and sent into internal exile. Out of this system Alexei II emerged to help mold a new Russia. First he worked to rebuild Christ the Savior Cathedral, a magnificent cathedral that had been destroyed by Stalin.

The Patriarch supported the new Russia. He was suspicious of Rome and Catholic intentions in Russia. He reached out and healed an 80 year old rift between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The latter consisted of the descendants of the white army that fled Russia. He was active in European Ecumenical events. In short, during his reign the Russian Orthodox Church emerged out of persecutions and silence to become the most vibrant Christian Church in the Republics of the former Soviet Union. The church emerged as a powerful religious, political and cultural force in the life of the Russian nation. May those who mourn find comfort and may those who lead continue to build bridges.


Russian Orthodox Choir