Random Reflections on the Trinity

Even many non-Christians are probably familiar with the basics of the Christian Doctrine of the Trinity, the Doctrine that talks about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But even many devout Christians would probably confess that they do not fully understand the Trinity. For me, the Trinity is a mystery we must ponder.

This coming Sunday many Christian Churches will be observing Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost and a Sunday to celebrate, reflect upon, and scratch heads about the Trinity. Here are some  random reflections that might get you to scratch your head.

One of the Professors in my D.Min. program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary argued in our Reformed Theology Seminar that the Doctrine of the Trinity is not biblical but it is essential. I think what he meant was that nowhere in the Scriptures does the word “Trinity” appear and while Scripture in places talks about God in terms of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is no fully developed Doctrine of the Trinity. The Doctrine of the Trinity is a creation of human reason as we have sought to make sense of, understand, and somewhat systematize Scripture.

I have recently been thinking about the Doctrine of the Trinity in terms similar to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The Heisenberg Uncertainty principle states that one cannot determine the mass and the velocity of an electron at the same time. If one determines it mass, there is no velocity. If one determines the velocity, there is no mass. Similarly, if we focus on any one “person” of the Trinity then we can no longer see the Triune God. But if we focus on the “Triune God” then we can longer see any of the individual “persons” of the Trinity.

Another analogy I find helpful is that of determining whether light is a wave or a particle. If God is at all like light (Jesus is, after all, proclaimed to be the light of the world) then perhaps our understanding of light can serve as a metaphor for our understanding of God. Sometimes light seems to behave like a wave. Sometimes light seems to behave like a particle. Neither understanding, even combined, fully explains the nature of light and in a sense light is still a mystery.

While the Doctrine of the Trinity can (sometimes) help us make sense of the way God behaves in Scripture, I am becoming increasingly convinced that it does not give us a complete picture of or fully explains the nature of God. The Doctrine of the Trinity helps us to conceptualize and understand the mystery of God, yet God still remains a mystery we must ponder, a mystery that invites us to marvel at God with the same childlike wonder of the Psalmist in Psalm 8:3-5, only more so.

In his book The Journey to Truth, George F. Garlick, Ph.D., discussing the work of Dr. Michio Kaku, writes “the best way to understand the mystery of light is to admit that light is not a part of this world, but instead has its source in the fifth dimension. Kaku concludes, ‘This alternative theory gave the simplest explanation of light; that it was really a vibration of the fifth dimension.’” (p. 108) Just as physicists are beginning to understand light in new ways, maybe it is also time theologians begin to understand God in new ways beyond the Doctrine of the Trinity.

It has been a while since I last read Carl Jung, but I think he argued that the Doctrine of the Trinity was not psychologically complete, that what humans need psychologically is not a Trinity of Father – Son – Spirit but a Quarternity of Father – Son – Spirit – Wisdom/Mary, and that for Roman Catholics the Doctrine of the Assumption of Mary comes close to fulfilling this function. While this is a somewhat esoteric argument, here is a link to an equally esoteric article about Jung’s theory of the Quartentity.

The Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, Ph.D., offers a thoughtful analysis and some words of caution about Jung’s Quarternity and the possible inclusion of the feminine within the Trinity and the Quartentity in her article THE SHAPE OF GOD: Deepening the Mystery of the Trinity.

I generally believe that the questions we ask are often more important than any answers we might find, that we often find more grace in our search for understanding than we do in adopting a posture of dogmatic certainty. Therefore I posit the above reflections as questions, discussion starters, and head scratching conundrums to help us think about, reflect upon, ponder, and ask questions about the Triune God and the Doctrine of the Trinity. And I have not even mentioned perichoresis!

A Celtic Cross for the Birds

In the graveyard of Trinity Church Cemetery, Manhattan, across the street from the North Presbyterian Church of Manhattan, stands a large Celtic Cross that dominates the immediate landscape and marks the grave of John James Audubon. I recently discovered the site, or rather had it pointed out to me by my wife, when we attending an event at the North Presbyterian Church of Manhattan.

My wife and I have been intrigued by Celtic Crosses and have undertaken pilgrimages to see many in Ireland and Scotland on two different occasions. Although the Celtic Cross that marks Audubon’s grave is far younger than most Celtic Crosses in Scotland and Ireland it is just as impressive, if not more so, rivaling crosses on Iona, as well as in Monasterboice and Clonmacnoise.

Thanks to some excellent research by Corey Finger and reported on the 10,000 Birds blog, I learned alot about the Audubon monument, including that the original block of North River Bluestone used for it weighed 14 ton. Once carved, the final cross weighed seven ton and stands 19 feet high.

Audubon is most likely buried in Trinity Church Cemetery because Audubon donated the land for it. What I cannot figure out is why a Celtic Cross was chosen for the monument’s design. Audubon was neither Irish nor Scottish and as far as I have been able to determine had no Celtic roots. I am not she whether or not he was a Christian. The monument was not Audubon’s or his family’s choice. It was the choice of a group of New Yorkers intent on more properly marking his grave. So why did they choose a Celtic Cross to do so? Why not a giant bird? Or a representation of one or more of his paintings?

If you find yourself in the vicinity of Trinity Church on the upper west side of Manhattan, walk into the graveyard and see this Celtic Cross for yourself. Standing near the cross, close your eyes, feel the breeze on your face, block out the noise of traffic, listen the songs of birds, and imagine you are in the Scotland or Ireland.

Harry Potter Grows Up, Goes Mainstream

The New York Times has introduced “a new opinion series that will feature the writings of contemporary philosophers on issues both timely and timeless — art, war, ethics, gender, popular culture and more.” Called The Stone, in what I assume to be a reference to the famed Philosopher’s Stone (the title of the Original Harry Potter book published in England was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone but the title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers's Stone for the American market because it was thought Americans would be more enamoured by a sorcerer than a philosopher).

The first two installments, an introduction and a major opinion piece, appeared May 16th.

I applaud the New York Times for bringing Philosophical discourse back into the public sphere where it has always belonged. Society suffers when Philosophy is relegated to the ivy covered halls of Academia. If as many Americans will read and reflect upon the Time's series as pereused and pondered the first Harry Potter Book, our civic discourse might rise above our current sophomoric level and resemble something more fitting of an enlightened democracy.

Trip Leader Workshop

It had been three and a half months since I paddled on the proxigean tide. That was January 30th, when the air temperature was 15°f and the water temperature was probably in the 40’s. Last Saturday the water temperature at the Sebago dock was 58°f. Under the Belt Parkway Bridge it was 60°f. Out in Jamaica Bay it was 56°f. The air temperature was near 70°f. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing, really blowing. Had a beginner’s paddle been scheduled it would have been cancelled due to the wind. But the eleven of us that would later be out on the water were not beginners.

Earlier in the morning we started gathering in the clubhouse of the Sebago Canoe Club in Canarsie, Brooklyn. With some confusion about the schedule, we started straggling in for the Trip Leader Workshop beginning 8:30 AM, with more arriving at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00 and our final participant arriving at 10:30 AM.

A little before 10:00 AM the odd assortment of future trip leaders (or was it an assortment of future odd trip leaders) and experienced trip leaders and instructors watched segments of the Leo Hoare and Olly Sanders Sea Kayak DVD as it played on Walter’s Mac Book Pro. We focused primarily on rescues and towing. Later in the morning we discussed what was required of a trip leader in general and a Sebago Canoe Club Trip Leader in particular. We also reviewed and discussed the procedures related to Sebago’s Wednesday evening and Saturday morning open paddles when most of us would be leading and assisting with trips.

During the paddling season, as conditions permit, The Sebago Canoe Club welcomes up to fifteen walk up first time paddlers for an “Open Paddle” on Paerdegat Basin and Jamaica Bay. After signing an insurance waiver and being asked for a $10 donation to cover costs, open paddle participants receive a brief introduction to paddling and paddling safety and are then taken out as a group onto the water. With a Leader/Participant ratio of 1/5 or better, Sebago needs at least one trip leader and two assistants for every open paddle.

After our classroom work we took a short break and then put on our dry suits, wet suits, and paddling jackets as we prepared to head out onto the water. Five future trip leaders and six current trip leaders and instructors paddled straightaway down Paerdegat basin and under the Belt Parkway Bridge out into Jamaica Bay.

Whether it was the wind or the tide or whatever, Walter’s boat edged up to mine from behind and before I knew it I was rolling over into Jamaica Bay, the unintentional victim for the first rescue practice of the day. Ted paddled up to my boat and following his instructions we emptied my boat of as much water as possible and I climbed back in. From my perspective the most difficult part of the rescue was playing dumb, i.e. pretending I was an inexperienced paddler who knew nothing about rescues and who needed to be talked through the procedure by the assigned trip leader.

Within the next hour or so Phil would intentionally capsize several times so that each of the future trip leaders could practice their rescue skills (photo top right). Phil so dramatically portrayed paddlers panicking that most of us thought he was bucking to get out of the set shop and onto the stage. In our minds, at least, he deserved a Tony for his portrayal of the inexperienced kayaker from hell that will not listen to directions and therefore endangers others by standing up on his kayak as he is being rescued. Meanwhile, Bonnie feigned an avid bird watcher who strayed away from the group in order to test the observation skills of the assigned leaders and their ability to keep the group together.

Though I have owned and carried a tow belt since last season, Saturday’s workshop was the first time I have actually used one as Jerry acted the part of a tired paddler who needed to be towed back to dry land. Towing, even into the wind, was easier than I thought it would be, though I was glad I did not have to tow Jerry all the way back to the dock.

Back at Sebago, after rinsing and stowing our gear, we debriefed over hamburgers, hot dogs and assorted beverages prepared by our Commodore John Wright. All in all it was a good day of learning, fun, and comradeship.

While additional Sebago Instructors and Trip Leaders participated in the morning classroom segment of the training, the eleven that paddled in the afternoon practical session, in addition to myself, included Dan, Ted, Hillary, Andy, Severin, Jake, Phil, Bonnie, Jerry, and Walter.

More pictures from the day have been posted on my Picasa page.

A Musical Journey with Paul

Last evening I had the opportunity to listen to the story of the Apostle Paul, from his witnessing the stoning of Stephen to his departure from Ephesus for Jerusalem. I was not listening to a Books on Tape CD or attending a dramatic reading. I was present in Carnegie Hall for The Oratorio Society of New York’s presentation of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Paulus with Kent Tritle conducting .

I am not a big Mendelssohn fan and prior to last night I was familiar only with his Hebrides Overture. Last night’s performance, however, won me over, even though it paled in comparison to the Society’s March performance of Cherubini’s Requiem in C Minor and William’s Five Mystical Songs.

Since the Oratorio was performed as it was written, in German, electronic subtitles were provided on a small electronic sign hanging above the performers. At first I found the sign distracting. After a few movements, however, I found it necessary in order to follow the performance, as my German is naught.

I am aware that Kerygma offers a two part Bible Study using the text and musical commentary of Handel’s Messiah. I wonder if a similar study using the text and musical commentary of Mendelssohn’s Paulus might be possible.

Since last night’s perfomance won me over as a fan of Mendelssohn, I now look forward to the Society’s presentation of his Elijah (in English, I think) on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

A Tale of Two North Churches

There are 96 congregations in New York City Presbytery, a regional governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Those 96 particular churches are all located within the five boroughs of New York City. So what do you think there odds are that two of the churches would both be named “North Church”? Believe it or not, there are two, one in Manhattan and one in Queens.

For the past two and half years I have been serving as Designated Pastor of the North Church in Queens. Twice in the past few months, however, I have attended New York City Presbytery events at North Church Manhattan.

North Church Manhattan is located at 525 W. 155th Street, placing it in northern Manhattan. North Church Queens is located at 25-33 154th Street in Queens, placing it in northern Queens. Thus the “North” moniker of both churches is appropriate. But that is about where the similarities end.

North Church Queens is located in a rather quiet residential area of single family homes. The small New England style sanctuary, which can seat around 120, was built in 1940. North Church Manhattan sits amid two of Manhattan’s busiest streets and there are several large apartment buildings nearby. I estimate that the North Manhattan sanctuary, built in 1904, can seat 400-500 or more.

North Church Manhattan is currently served by Stated Supply Pastor the Reverend Christopher Smith, pictured top right. The other photos contrast the appearance of North Church Queens (on the left) with North Church Manhattan (on the right).

A Mother's Day Prayer

We remember with joy and thanksgiving
the significant women who have nurtured our life and faith,
women like
     Eve, mother of humanity;
     Sarah, mother of Isaac;
     Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau and your people Israel;
     Leah, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah, mothers of a holy nation;
     Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus the Christ and Mother of God;
     and our own mothers
     and women who like a mother
     nursed, nurtured, loved,
     and nourished us spiritually with their wisdom and faith.
We ask you to bless them,
and to honor them in heaven as we seek to honor them here on earth.
May our mothers and all women of faith
know our love and gratitude
not only this day but everyday.

This day also reminds us, loving God,
how like a mother hen you gather us together
and protect us under your wing;
and how you are faithful still,
like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
and so we give you thanks,
most of all,
for your maternal love and care. Amen

Money Well Raised

You might expect to find friendship, inspiration and hope in a church, but wine and hors d’oeuvres (not counting the Eucharist)? What about enjoying wine and hors d d’oeuvres in a church not only with supporters of the GLBT community but at least one out lesbian Minister of the Word and Sacrament? In New York City, yes!

I recently had the opportunity and pleasure of attending “A Covenant Network Fundraising Event” hosted by the Revered Dr. Scott Black Johnston and the Reverend Dr. Jon M. Walton. The event was held in a third floor multipurpose room at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in upper Manhattan.

Guests included the Reverend Deborah Block and the Reverend David Van Dyke, Co-Moderators of the Covenant Network, who briefly discussed challenges before the 219th General Assembly, featured in the photo to the right.

Special Guest the Reverend Cheryl Pyrch, Pastor of Summit Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, shared her ordination story and, as much as the cloture of a presbytery meeting in executive session would allow, her being called to serve in Philadelphia Presbytery.

Takako Terino briefly spoke about the work of Presbyterian Welcome.

The pinot noir was smooth. The cheese, crackers and fruit were delicious. The progressive and enlightened company was sociable. I have no idea how many people were invited to this event but I was a little surprised there were not more in attendance. After all, this is New York City and Fifth Avenue. I also do not know how much money Covenant Network raised, but if it at all serves to raise the level of debate and awareness of the current exclusive and unjust policy of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) which excludes the Ordination of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender individuals who do not pledge themselves to chastity, then it will be money well raised.

Has Your Neighbor Returned Their Census Form?

Even if you or someone in your household returned your household’s 2010 Census Questionnaire, a 2010 Census Enumerator may be knocking on your door or ringing your doorbell as he or she attempts to locate nearby addresses. An Enumerator may also ask you if you know the name and phone number of your neighbors or when those neighbors are usually at home so that he or she might contact them directly. As a last resort an Enumerator might interview you as a “Proxy” who has knowledge about the Census Day status of that address, and its occupants, if the address was an occupied housing unit on Census Day. If the Enumerator interviews you as a proxy the Enumerator will also ask you for your name, address, phone number and the best time to call if there is a need for follow up.

If a 2010 Census worker does ask you for information about a nearby address and people who might have lived at that nearby address on April 1, 2010, please provide as much of the information that is asked for as you can. You will be helping that Enumerator gather important information.

About the May 2010 Header Photo

This month’s header photo features a view of Ocracoke’s Silver Lake, shot from the National Park Service docks and looking east toward the famed Ocracoke Lighthouse. Located at the southernmost remote inhabited point of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Ocracoke (both an island and a town on the Island) can be reached only by air or sea (vehicle ferry) and is one of our favorite vacation spots.

It has been over a year and a half since we last visited Ocracoke and I am looking forward to spending nearly two weeks there starting very soon. We will be camping at the National Park Service Campground, along with our dog Myrrhlyn. Myrrhlyn has been to the beach and ocean before but has never been camping, so we will see how it goes. We will be taking our sit-on-top kayaks with us and I hope the weather will allow us to enjoy some kayaking in Silver Lake as well as in the sound and in the ocean.

This is the third Summit to Shore header photo featuring a scene from Ocracoke. The March 2009 header photo featured a dune shot taken in or near the National Park Service campground. The September 2009’s header photo was taken near Sam’s Point and featured my wife kayaking and our now deceased dog Hermes swimming near Teach’s Hole.

Have You Returned Your Census Form?

For the 23rd time in an unbroken chain dating back to 1790, the United States is in the midst of the decennial census. Every housing unit should have received a questionnaire that was to have been filled out by one of the residents and mailed back to the Census Office in a prepaid return envelope. Housing units that for which no completed census form was received are just now starting to be visited by census workers known as NRFU (Nonresponse Followup) Enumerators, probably wearing a shoulder bag similar to the one in the photograph. Enumerators must wear an identification card hanging from a lanyard around their neck but the card does not bear their photograph.

If an Enumerator rings your doorbell or knocks on your door, please take about ten minutes to accurately answer the questions he or she will ask. If an Enumerator visits while no one is home and leaves a Notice of Visit with their phone number, call them back to schedule an interview. They may be able to conduct their interview over the phone rather than visiting you.

All Census data is confidential and Enumerators have sworn an oath to protect your personally identifiable information. If an Enumerator breaks confidentiality they may face a fine as well as imprisonment.

An accurate census count is essential not only for determining the number of Representatives a state will be entitled to send to the United States House of Representatives but how Congressional Districts within a state are structured. Even in a state that neither gains nor losses representation due to this census, the Congressional Districts within the state might be re-aligned so that the population within each of the districts is as nearly equal as possible. While a state’s total population might not have changed much since the 2000 Census, the population within a state might have shifted from communities near summits to communities near shores (yes, that was a self serving reference to this blog) or vice versa, necessitating the congressional districts to be redrawn.

Results from the census are also used to determine federal and state funding levels for various federal and state programs. Thus you being counted, or not being counted, might mean the difference between federal and state programs in your community receiving, or not receiving, thousands of dollars in funding.

The decennial census not only tells us how many people live where but how they live and what race they are. Like a snap shot of America taken every ten years, the Census documents not only who we are as a country but who we have been and how we are changing. So if an Enumerator visits, patiently and accurately answer the questions and smile.

Everglades

Waking up from a nap, I looked out the window I was sitting next to and could have thought I was thousands of feet above the planet Mars. In reality I was thousands of feet above the Florida Everglades—for the first time in my life.

When recently returning by plane from Tampa to New York via Miami, as we approached Miami we flew over the Everglades. If it were not for mid afternoon sunlight reflecting off the water I would have found it difficult to distinguish water from marsh and ground. The occasional canals, perhaps some natural and some dredged, could have led me to think I was above a Martian plain. The predominance of browns rather than greens and blues added to the illusion.

This was not only the first time I had flown over the Evergaldes but the first time I had seen them from any location or angle, my first encounter of them.

I almost slept through the experience and awoke just minutes before the view transitioned to roads, highways and developments. The next time I experience the evergalds I hope it is from the cockpit of a kayak rather than the cabin of a commercial jetliner.

Welcome to My Neighborhood: Polish Flags Are Flying

As thousands of Poles gather in Warsaw to mourn the 96 victims of last week’s plane crash in Russia, Polish flags, some bearing black ribbons, have been unfurled around my neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, New York City.

Many years ago Ridgewood was predominately a neighborhood of German immigrants. It now appears pretty eclectic but with a heavy eastern European contingent, including a fair number of Poles.

There were not very many Polish flags in sight around the neighborhood a day or two after last week’s plane crash which claimed the life of Poland’s President and so many other Polish leaders. One by one, however, Polish flags, small and large, professionally crafted and drwan on paper with crayon and marker, started appearing in windows, hanging from windows, on cars, and hanging from staff’s tied to railings. Some of them have black ribbons of mourning tied to a grommet or to the top of a staff.

As a native West Virginian I resonated with last week’s mine disaster in West Virginia which claimed the lives of 29 miners. As much empathy as I feel for fellow Mountaineers who have lost family, friends and neighbors in that accident, I can barely imagine what Poles and Polish-Americans living here in Ridgewood must be feeling after losing not only a beloved President but many of their home nation’s Government, Military, Business and Church leaders.

Regardless of how you feel or think of President Obama, imagine Air Force One crashing not only with a beloved President aboard, but with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, and Mike Pence onboard; with Robert Gates, General Mike Mullen, and General David H. Petraeus on board; with Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Oprah

Winfrey, and T. Boone Pickens on board; with the Reverend Dr Sharon Watkins, the Reverend Michael Livingston, the Reverend Dr Michael Kinnamon, and Most Reverend timothy M. Dolan aboard; and with over eighty other national leaders on board.

Such a loss of national talent and knowledge, not to mention the loss of life, would be devastating blow to our national energy, casting a temporary pall over our nation. I can only imagine that this is the reality being faced by Poland, a nation in mourning for some of its brightest and best. Like a phenix rising from the ashes, may the crowned white Eagle of Poland once again soar as the nation overcomes this tragedy.

Life Will Find A Way

Sometimes even against the greatest of odds life finds a way. For instance the other day I noticed a few small purple and orange flowers poking their way out of a thin crack in the concrete in front of the house (photo right). Upon closer examination I discovered that the winners in the struggle for survival were pansies.

My wife thinks that last year she scattered some loose pansy seeds after planting pansies in a flower pot on the front steps. Somehow a few of these seeds settled in the crack, survived the winter, and are now flowering. I find it amazing and worthy of awe.

Back on March 22nd I wrote in that day’s post that “every-day beauty can be seen in places other than the obvious, from tree lined streets, both residential and commercial, to wildflowers growing in window boxes.” I had no idea back then that the beauty of nature would be making an appearance out of a thin crack in some concrete, but it is. And it has touched my citified soul and caused me to ponder greater mysteries.

In my mind it is not a great intuitive leap from those pansies poking through a thin crack in the concrete to life on our planet. Against great odds life took hold on this planet and while some species have become extinct, life in general still thrives on a hunk of rock circling a star in the midst of the cold vacuum of space, sort of like a concrete in front of our home sun.

A Progressive Twofer

When tickets for a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart are secured months in advance, fans have no idea who the guest or guests for their particular show might be. Imagine our delight when we learned, just a day in advance, that Rachel Maddow was to be Jon’s guest the evening of the show we had tickets to, last night’s show.

Most evening’s at 9:00 PM we watch the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. I prefer Rachel’s show over both Hardball with Chris Matthews and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Rachel is less acerbic and wittier than both Chris and Keith. She is also more playful but can be deadpan series when she wants to.

At 11:00 PM we usually watch the Daily Show with John Stewart on Comedy Central. His sarcastic commentary on the day’s news, especially his relentless exposé of the double standards of conservative politicians and Fox commentators are always informative as well as entertaining.

Most of Jon’s interview of Rachel last night was devoted to her upcoming MSNBC two hour documentary about The McVeigh Tapes (Monday at 9:00 PM on MSNBC). During the interview she said she thought McVeigh was a sociopath and that she had no compulsion against him receiving the death penalty. Without much of a segue she even opined that she could kill Osama Bin Laden with a spoon if she had a chance. Yes, with a spoon. Who needs weapons of mass destruction when all Rachel needs to end Al-Queda terrorism is a spoon?

Rachel noted that she upholds two commandments: Don’t lie and don’t kill people. I can live with that. Truly, I can.

Last night was the second time we have attended a taping of the Daily Show with John Stewart. You can read about our first time in the audience here.

Last night we thought we had great seats when we were placed in the front row, only to discover during taping that there were many times we could not see Jon because one of the cameras was between us and him. Before taping was completed Jon announced that he needed to re-record a couple of his comments accompanying the video segments. Since only the sound was being recorded and not video, both Jon and the staff were more relaxed for these few minutes than they had been for the rest of the show.

Taping was over and the audience release around 7:00 PM. We were back home in time to catch the 11:00 PM Broadcast (photo of TV screen bottom right). We even arrived back home in time to see the last few minutes of Rachel Maddow Show.

25 + 4 = 29 Dead West Virginia Miners

It seems that only three things can bring media attention upon West Virginia, West Virginia University Football, West Virginia University Basketball, and West Virginia mine disasters. The Mountain State is where I was born, received most of my education, and lived and worked until three years ago, so I am a Mountaineer through and through and resonate with unfortunate news of yet another mine disaster and more loss of life.

Soon after the most recent West Virginia mine disaster it was reported that twenty-five miners died in the explosion but that it was hoped that the four miners unaccounted for had made it to a safe room where they were waiting to be rescued. After several days of hopeful searching and waiting, drilling and waiting, rescue attempts begun and then postponed, renewed rescue attempts and waiting, as well as press reports, interviews, and conjectures, four more lifeless bodies have been recovered from a West Virginian Coal Mine. Four more families have lost sons, husbands, fathers, brothers, and bread winners as King Coal claims four more sacrificial victims.

Although I happened to on vacation hundreds of miles away when the Sago mine exploded a few years ago, Sago was just a short drive up the valley from where I lived and worked at the time. While the media focused on the immediate story, I know from personal experience that the story of Sago played out over several months and years, leaving scars on the local and extended community that still have not healed.

When the satellite link trucks and vans leave West Virginia for their next live coverage assignment, the story of this most recent disaster will continue long after the media have left Montcoal, and once again West Virginia will slip into the recesses of the nation’s consciousness until the next Sugar Bowl, NCAA Final Four, or mine disaster. But coal and the electricity it is used to produce will flow into households across the Mid-Atlantic States.

West Virginia coal is both a blessing and a curse, and coal mining in West Virginia is like an addictive drug that offers a quick fix high but also occasionally kills when improperly administered or when one overdoses. Like a third world colony West Virginia has had its lumber clear cut, its gas pumped out, and its coal extracted at the cost of environmental degradation and lost lives, this week twenty nine more lost lives. Mountaineers are always free, free to sell their minerals, land, natural resources and very lives to out of state absentee entrepreneurs who enrich themselves while their workers survive on a few scraps of leftovers.

May God comfort the afflicted families, friends, co workers and neighbors of the twenty-nine West Virginia miners killed in this recent mine explosion. May God afflict those who comfortably sat by, counting their money while allowing this to happen.

Violets 1 – Crocus 0

March Madness might be over (and WVU might have lost to Duke) but the contest for control of the center court, or lawn, at North Church Queens continues into April Insanity.

Most of the first and second string crocus have fouled out. Daffodils and T.U.L.I.P.s (this is, after all, a Presbyterian venue) have come off the bench to play in the late spring game. But where the crocus once dominated, grass is now carrying on a full court press with a few lone violets (one in the photo right) occasionally substituting. Thus, violets 1 – Crocus 0.

If April showers bring May flowers, what is next? May Mental Illness and a lawn dominated by may apples or crabgrass?

Since Baseball, rather than Basketball, is the game of late spring, summer, and early fall, perhaps I should shift sport metphors. Violets have come out of the bull pen to substitute for the crocus?

Montauk

With welcomed warmer temperatures and sunshine following a cold rainy spell, what else is a New Yorker to do on the Saturday before Easter but drive 120 miles due east to Montauk? Located at the far eastern tip of long Island, there is no place in all of New York State that is farther east.

In spite of the warm and sunny conditions in Queens the late in the morning, by the time we parked near the historic Montauk lighthouse (photo right) later in the afternoon, we found ourselves in the midst of a chilling fog, thick enough for the fog warning horn at the light house to be sounding the entire time we were there.

After the two and a half hour drive out to Montauk I was not about to allow the $9 visitor fee to prevent me from walking to the top of the historic Montauk Lighthouse, now the first lighthouse I have ever climbed to the top of. Yes, I think the $9 fee was worth it. Not only was the light house museum, which the fee helps support, entertaining and informative, it was of professional caliber, not your usual fly-by-night tourist schmaltz. The fog enshrouding the lighthouse prevented any sort of view but was still well worth the climb. Stepping out from the heated upper chamber out into the fog and chilling breeze was itself worth the climb.

There are numerous historical connections that make a trip to Montauk an historical bonanza. The slave ship La Amistad ran aground on nearby Block Island. Theodore Roosevelt and other Rough Riders recuperated there after the Spanish American War. Native Americans once inhabited the land.

The Last Crocus of Spring?

For the past month, through rain and sun, warm weather and cold, calm days and wind, I have been observing and photographing the crocus growing, and dying, in the front yard of North Church Queens. The budding, flowering, and near death of these little signs of spring has been a nature lesson in miniature.

Last week at this time I thought the crocus were done for, victims of wind and cold. But this week a few crocus still remain, one of them appearing in the photo to the right. Where once there had been bunches of five or more spread across the lawn, now only one or two are still growing in those spots, isolated heralds of spring in their little tuft of turf, their proclamation of spring having been usurped by brilliant yellow flowering daffodils.

Now that warm and sunny weather has returned once again to the Big Apple after several days of cold drenching rain, the few remaining crocus, standing like Gendarmes guarding against a late spring snow, seem to have done their duty. Will there be any remaining on guard duty next week?

Living in a urban environment where one's connection to the cycles of nature can easily be eclipsed by concrete and neon, I have been reminded by the crocus in the lawn at North Church Queens to be mindful of even small natural wonders.

About the April 2010 Header Photo

I shot this month’s header photo from the summit (O.K., it was really one of many exposed rocky outcrops and observation areas, not necessarily the actual summit) of Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, on October 3rd, 2009. The view is looking out toward the north.

What was I doing in Pennsylvania and at Hawk Mountain? What is so special about Hawk Mountain? Read my October 9, 2009 post for all the details.

As soon as Holy Week and Tax Day pass, I need to get to the mountains, as I am running out of possible "summit" header photos.