How lucky we are in this century that opened with so much promise. We know that tomorrow we will celebrate the Risen Christ; God's promise though the Old Testament that a Messiah would come. We Christians represent less than 50% of the world's peoples but for those of us who love and worship God it is a group woven together by tradition and history. We, all the Christians, do not worship in the same way or even see God in exactly the same way, but we are one because Jesus created us. The past few years has been a watershed moment in history which can only really be seen in retrospect. Are we actually on the other side; I suspect not because of Russia illegally attacking the sovereign country of Ukraine. Given the isolation of people during COVID, an inability to see the world clearly as it has become has created this dreadful killing field in Ukraine by Russia (both Christian countries mostly and yet within both of these countries there are other practising religions (which is a gift as it teaches us on a daily basis to be respectful of the beliefs of others)). This war is an anomaly in time that belongs in the watershed moment created by COVID that must be solved in order for the world to move forward. It is good to have more than one dominant power in the world; we need the protection that such dominance provides (pirates once again are on the high seas impeding trade, Nazis have emerged once again in Russia). Certainly as a Canadian I appreciate the United States of America for the role that it has played during the last century. With their military might and ability to switch from peacetime to a wartime footing in a miraculously short period of time, we, the Allies, managed to destroy the Nazis who had destroyed the peace of Europe/the United Kingdom, Africa and Asia. The effect on the Western Hemisphere was there (the attack on Pearl Harbour) but not felt in such a way as the effects in the Eastern Hemisphere. Lessons were learned; the United Nations was created and we moved forward but there was an Iron Curtain drawn across Europe by the Soviet Union in 1945 that enslaved millions of people who were unable to move forward as the rest of the world did. The Fall of the Soviet Union meant freedom for those millions of people whilst at the same time the European Community (EU) had created a conglomerate to solve the wars that had plagued that part of the continent for centuries. Now as COVID is drawing to a close, a solution is needed to end such wars as Russia has started in Ukraine. The most powerful peoples in the world do not want war (it destroys trade) but they do want power. I do not have a problem with that so long as it is used wisely. There can be more than one powerful block of people and three or four is even better (we may need all of these powerful people to defend our world against unknown elements). The Eastern Hemisphere also known as the World Island has two or three (thinking of the British Commonwealth but it does spread across both hemispheres) of these powerful blocks and the Western Hemisphere has the third (part of the fourth) powerful blocks. Together we can walk towards that uplifted plain where peace exists and the United Nations manages the differences of opinion not the battlefield.
Today is Saturday, the sun is golden in the east and a warmer day than yesterday is promised. The snow on my roof is slowly melting. I wanted to knock it off but I am old and my husband used to say it will just melt. Maybe today more of it will melt away and I will feel more comfortable about that. This day in my youth was most often called Black Saturday but these days Holy Saturday is commonly heard. As a child I thought it was because the black curtains in the temple ripped during an earthquake when Jesus died on the cross. God and Jesus have made this entire week and every day of it is Holy. The Lent without Borders email today is a summing up of the last six weeks and the Reflection we are asked to make by the Venerable Patrick Stephens all include the sort of thoughts that have come to mind throughout this Lenten season. The prayer chosen by him is a beautiful reminder of the gift of the Earth to all of us here on Mother Earth - both fauna, flora and human. Sharing is important and the more that we have the more that we need to share because that is the responsibility of wealth - the Royal Houses of the countries who still have one can tell you that that is the most important lesson that is taught to the children of these houses - duty to one's country above all.
When I first thought about my blog today (and it is my thoughts to myself primarily as I never dreamed that anyone else would read these lengthy comments when I first started my blog in 2008) it was to be about so called "daughtering out" of lines in a family. I was resolved to find a way to say that without it sounding like something had been lost. After all daughtering out in one family meant that another family line continued if the daughters married and had children. It is actually as important as continuation because it is but it is primarily in the European culture that male lines attained an importance over the female lines. In most parts of Europe this is now rectified as neither male nor female has prominence just because of birth order although on an individual level perhaps it will take longer than in the Royal Houses where it became law.
It was the Lent without borders email that reminded me that the world has been through an enormous struggle these past few years with COVID and the illegal war that Russia has launched in Ukraine. But I can see that I will write more and more about my research in the days ahead as I did before COVID. I am not particularly a political person. I have become a No-Label person really as I did support the Progressive Conservative Party most of my life until I no longer could. Definitely Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the catalyst that caused me to no longer vote Conservative. I am not a Liberal either though although I do vote for them. One must choose that is for certain; that is the need in democracy that all of us choose and not become saddened and think that our vote isn't important. Every vote is important.
Listening to my Psalms by Ian White most mornings throughout Lent as I begin my day. They remind me of a God that walked with man and guided him towards a better life. The Old Testament has brutal parts but there are the parts of wonder and magic as well. Now God watches us and shares our sadness but it is in our camp how the world goes. We must do better; we must stop all wars as they damage the planet. The World deserves more.
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