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My husband had a mild stroke three weeks ago. He is recovering, now at 95%, which was not a given in those early days. We have both outlived many friends and consider each day a gift. The current era is not what I would have scripted but it is where I live. If indeed I have been made for a time such as this, I have to recognize that I limped here surrounded by wise teachers and raised from the living dead by some unlikely saints. Our minister quoted Vernon Jordan this morning: “You are where you are today because you stand on somebody's shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It's the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” I am grateful for all our intersections. Today’s arrived when the student was ready.

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Most people do, actually, love or like their neighbor...the one they can cross the street to visit or lean over the fence to visit. And I think that when Jesus was saying it, that's what he meant: love those around you. Which made a lot of sense over 2000 years ago, because those were the people you were going to need to depend on...not just in day to day things, but if was a community problem, such as sickness or famine.

We live in a global world, populated by over 7 1/2 billion individuals, and a shrinking resource base (tillable land, drinkable water, breathable air, etc.) and in this "greater world" way more people are concerned with the needs of them and theirs than are concerned about the greater good.

Harsh and stark words, yes, but they paint the picture of the world that is our here/now, not the hereafter. And when I think about the upcoming election...and I, a humanist, have already voted my faith and my conscience...the image that comes into my mind is of the staff rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.

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Oct 24, 2020Liked by Diana Butler Bass

I have often pondered on the sequence of these two commands. The order seems very significant. When we love God, it appears that a channel of communication is formed, and the revelation of the immense love God has for us is realized. Only then can we love others as ourselves, as we have been loved. As we have been loved becomes the very essence of love itself, who we really are.

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Diana, thank you for this.

Can you reference the information that 362 of the 545 children are, themselves, missing? Thank you, Truman Moore

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It is in the linked NYT article (referenced in the article):

"The 545 children whose parents have not been found were all initially placed in shelters or foster homes under the supervision of H.H.S. They were then released to sponsors, who are typically relatives or family friends. About 362 of the children also cannot be located because the contact information provided by their sponsors is no longer current. Many of the children are believed to be in the United States."

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Oct 24, 2020Liked by Diana Butler Bass

The agony of separation in the hearts of the children and their families is beyond comprehension. It's our agony as well. Thank you for putting words on this tragedy that we may bring the horror to the light and say, "Never again!"

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These lectionary readings nicely coincide with Pope Francis’ new encyclical this month: I won’t get into the details of Italian grammar but the title of the Vatican document can be misinterpreted or misconstrued for those who aren’t familiar with gender in Italian grammar. “Fratelli Tutti” (Sisters and Brothers All) DOES include the feminine, even though superficially it is misunderstood as masculine plural. Get past that stumbling block and I hope you are awed by this teaching as I have been the past couple of weeks trying to wrap my mind around it. To me, it’s a roadmap of where we need to go and how we need to get there. And the funny thing about theology is that, as you read it, you will say to yourself: “deep down I already have known this inside of me but I have never seen it expressed so beautifully” It’s not just for Catholics. It’s for sisters and brothers/all of us. As Tiny Tim would say, God Bless Us, EVERYONE!

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When Italians want to know how many brothers and sisters you have, they ask, “Quanti fratelli hai?” <how many bros and sis have you!?> The same grammatical construction is used when speaking to a married couple or father or mother to ask how many children of BOTH SEXES have you? So the English translation of “Fratelli tutti” can only be “Brothers and Sisters All.” and should NOT be misconstrued as applying to males only. If you want to go further <googling> with the Pope’s use of words and his linguistic construction you will find his writing reflects back on writings of St Francis of Assisi in Latin and other nuances of his language besides what I have posted here are also unpacked.

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Oct 24, 2020Liked by Diana Butler Bass

What a wonderful essay on the rock bottom of being human - love God and love neighbor. Great and helpful! Many thanks to you!

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