Future Fridays: Care-Taking Creation

Last week Sarah wrote about how climate change is a family values issue, from our porch discussion with Josh Fisher and Daniel.  To acknowledge climate change is not a Right or Left issue but an issue that spans politics… or should.

This week let’s talk about the Beginning… and faith.

There is a movement within the Christian Church about creationism.  Unfortunately, the parts of Genesis (meaning origin) that are usually preached about are:

1. that the world is 6,000 years old more or less
2. that God (Yahweh) made the world in six days
3. that God gave dominion of the world over to “man” and
4. that Eve messed up for all of us by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  

What most are forgetting… and many scholars of the Torah and Christianity say we are missing is that we… humanity… were made care-takers of creation.   Care Takers.  

Eibhlín and Orla are care-takers of Samantha, our grandchild.  Does that mean they abuse her?  Does that mean that they use her to get their own way?  Does that mean they have the right to kill her?  No.  No.  and Definitely NO.

They enjoy her.  They play with her.  They feed her.  They nurture her.

Samantha is loved by them, treasured by them, and cherished by them

How – as people of faith – can we do any less for our air, water, plants… the planet?

We are care-takers… not destroyers.  Every action we take HAS to be FOR our world not against… EVERY ACTION.

Weeping Earth - Art by Eibhlín Mohally Renk

-Kathleen

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Going Nuts over Peanuts?

President Jimmy Carter, oldest living U.S. president, prolific writer, founder of the Carter Center, born-again Christian, Habitat for Humanity volunteer…and peanut farmer.   Peanuts.

Jimmy Carter - photo shutterstock.com

The food that may explode my beloved Mike’s head.

When Jimmy Carter became president, he used his influence to slow and stop the import of peanuts into the United States through regulations and absolute quotas.  The quotas have eased but the regulations have not.

Mind you…some regulations are important.  For example, testing for aflatoxins, a naturally occurring byproduct on agriculture products (including peanuts) produced by certain fungi and can cause cancer in humans.

Although Europe has a stricter import codes on aflatoxins, it is easier to import to the European Union than to the United States.

To enter the United States, peanuts have to be warehoused to be inspected.  Aflatoxins are measured as well as the size of the peanuts, the uniformity of the peanuts, and on and on it goes… what does size and uniformity have anything to do with the safety of a product?  Businesses who want the peanuts should have that say… and the businesses our peanuts go to are going to make organic peanut butter out of them!

Mike says the United States’ book of regulations on peanuts is about 2-3 inches thick.

So why grow peanuts to export to the United States?

1. They are a great rotation crop, because peanuts are legumes, they put nitrogen back into the soil.

2. U.S. businesses wanting to support subsistence organic farmers will buy the peanuts to supplement what they buy from elsewhere.

3. Organic peanuts are a good cash crop to make some profit when they fit the numerous regs.

All those silly regulations are set to just make it harder to bring peanuts into the United States and make it harder for subsistence organic farmers to get paid so that they can provide for their families… and make Mike’s head explode.

-Kathleen

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Future Fridays: A Family Value Issue

Sitting on the porch, our conversation tonight revolved around how to talk about issues... how to get people to realize that climate change is THE top issue...

... yes, it will be economically beneficial... but that doesn't seem to move people to urgency.

... yes, it is a Good Thing to speak out about... but apparently not enough to change our lifestyles.

... oh, but wait.  Pushing for halting climate change is... wait for it... a Family Values Issues.

What?

Yes!

If we claim to care about our families - if we claim to care about our children - if we claim to care about our grandchildren - if we claim to believe in protecting Life - there is no choice.  We either believe that we MUST do whatever it takes to live so that we are not hurting the environment and are actively working to reverse the damage or realize that we do NOT believe in Family Values - that we are preaching lies.

We really can't have it both ways.  We are either caretakers of the earth for all God's children, for all families, and we live our lives making choices for everyone's futures, or we live for our own greed and tell our children they aren't important enough to bother changing our lifestyles.

What are our Family Values?

Let's say we actually DO WANT to live pro-life.  Then those of us who "have" must also do extra, because opting for solar, buying organic, protecting clean water and forests over profit... these are choices that WE must make.  Our poor neighbors, only scraping together food for today, have neither the time nor the financial resources to change... whacking down that "free" tree branch to use it for dinner's cook fire... what other choice is there when you don't have enough money to pay for alternate cooking methods?  Those of us who "have" must provide the alternatives...

... our Family Values demand it of us.

- Sarah

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Coming in for Condoms

In 2018, fourteen men requested and/or were prescribed condoms from our clinic.   In 2019, this increased to 685 men!  In a machismo culture this is wonderful!

How did this happen?  Public education.

 

It used to be that the most condoms we handed out at the Nueva Vida Clinic were to partners of women being treated for sexually transmitted infections or to the small transgender community which include those who earn their money for food by being sex workers.

Now more men and older teenagers are coming in for condoms.  We have a man, Emir, who is helping with our health promotion work while our own health promoter, Jessenia, a woman, is struggling with failing kidneys.

Each gender and person have their own strengths.  Jessenia* reached out to the small transgender community and they use our clinic as a safe clinic with professionals who give them respect.  Jessenia worked so well with women while Emir is reaching young and older men and teaching them to take responsibility.

Both Jessenia and Emir are great with both sexes but women gravitate to Jessenia and men to Emir.  The fact that our condom outreach has increased 48 times is amazing. 

-Kathleen

*A short story:  a good friend of ours encouraged Trojan condoms to donate 1,000 condoms to our clinic many years ago.  Unfortunately, the condoms were all extra-large.  In one staff meeting, Jessenia commented that she had no idea what to do with these condoms because they were too large for the men who were using our clinic.  We laughed and made jokes of what we could do with them.

At the next staff meeting Jessenia reported that a man stopped her on the street in Nueva Vida and embarrassingly whispered to her of his problem of finding condoms large enough for him.  Jessenia reported that she gleefully said, “Have we got a deal for you!”  The condoms were used appropriately! 😊

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Future Fridays: Heeding the Children

One of my favorite songs and one we often sing as a community is Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s Teach Your Children Well.*  It reminds me to listen to our children and learn from them, though they are young, or BECAUSE they are young.

Greta Thunberg was FIFTEEN years old when she started her work to make those of us who are older LISTEN and HEED the dangers of climate change. She started the Future Fridays’ movement in Sweden that is now a global movement among school-age children and teens…she is now an aged 17-year-old.

Greta Thunberg outside Swedish Parliament & Climate march - Photo Business Insider

And then there is Licypriya Kangujam who started her work at SIX years old, calling for awareness of climate change and the orphans left after disasters in India.  She has gotten climate change included as part of the school’s curriculum in one Indian state, Rajasthan[1]…she is now an ancient eight-year-old.

Licypriya leading Climate March - Photo BBC

It is children teaching us to listen to scientists.  CHILDREN.

When I was eight, I was aware of the Cuban Missile Crisis because Daddy was an army chaplain at Fort Benning, GA, but all I did was play outside and make mud pies during the day while at night I worried, but I figured Daddy would keep us safe.

When I was 15 years old, I worried about the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.  I did NOT however hit the streets.  I wrote some essays in school, but never a letter to my congressional representatives or senator.   I figured I was helpless to change anything...but these girls are NOT helpless…

No, not Licypriya…not Greta…not the millions of teens and kids globally around the world speaking out and demanding change. 

I watched the news coverage of Greta’s impassioned speech[2] at the United Nations Climate Change Conference:

"This is all wrong. I shouldn't be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean," she said with tears in her eyes. "Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words."

Then later I learned of young, beautiful Licypriya saying in her speech[3] to world leaders,

“Our policy makers from around the world just gather here every year at [Climate Change Conferences] and do nothing concrete for our future…Why should I come here? Why I should speak here? I have to go to my school. I have to read my books. I have to play. I have to study. But our leaders all have ruined my childhood life and my beautiful future. This is not fair!”

No, it is not.  When will we heed the children? When we give them the life they need?

-Kathleen

*You, who are on the road

Must have a code

That you can live by

And so become yourself

Because the past is just a good-bye

(chorus)

Teach your children well

Your father’s hell

Did slowly go by

And feed them on your dreams

The one they picked

The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them why

If they told you, you would cry

So just look at them and sigh

And know they love you

And you of tender years

Can’t know the fears

That your elders grew by

And so please help them with your youth

They seek the truth

Before they can die

(chorus)

Teach your parents well

The children’s hell

Will slowly go by

And feed them on your dreams

The one they picked

The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them why

If they told you, you would cry

So just look at them and sigh

And know they love you

---

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51399721

[2] https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-bio-climate-change-activist-2019-9

[3] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/meet-licypriya-kangujam-the-8-yr-old-indian-greta-who-is-urging-leaders-at-cop25-to-save-the-planet/articleshow/72493089.cms

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Walkin' & Rollin'... with help!

Peggy, my mother, is 90 years old.  Four years ago, she had a series of strokes that left her weakened on her left side.  She works hard at maintaining what mobility she has, but she needs to use a walker or even a wheelchair if the walk is long. 

Over Christmas holidays our family went to the beach for two nights…a long-time tradition for us.  We are an ever-growing clan.  As Mama looked longingly at the Pacific she said, “Do you think I can stick my feet in the water?”

“Sure, we got strong folks here.”  So off we went helping her walk across the sand because the wheels would not roll. 

Sometimes we even carried her to the water and then back to her wheelchair.  She and we did it, but boy! Did that trek wear her out!  After we wheeled her to her room, she said that the only water she wanted to put her feet in again was the River Jordan!

Many families here have loved ones with no wheelchairs or walkers.  The families guide them and walk them or carry them. 

One mother used to bring her teen daughter with severe Cerebral Palsy to the clinic for her seizure medication and check-ups or teeth cleaning. Holding the daughter upright, mom would “walk” her to the clinic by propping the daughter’s feet on hers.  Now mom pushes her in a wheelchair…over bumpy roads…but so much better.  Daughter can now sit up with the family at home and be safe.

Giving people wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches allows mobility and in some cases more independence.  Our clinic gave out all those above-mentioned items, and in addition beds, toilet seats, and shower chairs to 158 patients last year.  These come from donations sent to Nicaragua through the Peace Works organization in New Jersey.

Patients who have lost legs from diabetes or the war, born with maladies, had strokes, etc. now can move about some, and they don’t have to wait for the River Jordan. 

It is not quite like Jesus healing the lame but – at least – there is movement.

-Kathleen

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Future Friday: Organize! CORRECTIONS

Two corrections need to be made to the blog posted February 7th

1. I was wrong. It was not McGovern but Eugene McCarthy who was running in the Democratic primaries in 1968.

2.  And I was wrong in saying that Pres. Trump mentioned Climate Change.  To be precise, Pres. Trump said " To protect the environment, days ago, I announced that the United States will join the One Trillion Trees Initiative, an ambitious effort to bring together government and the private sector to plant new trees in America and all around the world."  He never mentioned Climate Change.  

I am often accused of hearing what I want to hear, and this time it is true...so Greta Thunberg...no hope there YET.

   

I am deeply sorry.  Please forgive me.  

I promise to get folks younger and smarter than me to look over my blogs.  

- Kathleen

Future Fridays: Organize!

I watched the State of the Union Address with several of us here in Nicaragua.  One thing to note is that Pres. Trump said, that to address climate change, the U.S. was going to plant more trees.  Many rolled their eyes, including me, and…

Of course, planting trees will help but definitely does not go far enough.  But…BUT the amazing thing was that instead of calling climate change a hoax as he has in the past….and instead of the Republicans NOT standing and applauding…there was a moment…a moment when climate change was actually acknowledged.  Wow!  And again, I say, WOW!

State of the Union address 2020 - photo NYTimes

When George McGovern was running again Nixon, the question for the peace movement was…do we stop organizing around peace and put all our eggs in McGovern’s basket? Or do we keep our focus on ending the Vietnam War?  Someone said something along the lines of… if the grassroots organization is weak, even McGovern will continue the Vietnam War, and if strong enough, even Nixon will end the war.

This is what is happening with climate change.  If we continue to stand strong, then even Trump will acknowledge climate change is a viable issue; if we don’t…

Greta Thunberg should be proud.  Donald J. Trump said “Climate Change” and did not say “hoax” in the same breath.  Organize.  We HAVE to organize.

-Kathleen

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