Week 9

This week I watched an episode of Frontline on PBS called "The Quake." It aired on Tuesday, March 30 and gave a pretty good description of the events and dynamics that surrounded the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. I highly recommend watching this show - you can access it on Frontline's website - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

Frontline and Planet Money and the BBC are all doing their best to keep Haiti in the news and to cover what is happening there honestly and fairly. I've appreciated their efforts so far. Of course, as my friend Bryan reminded me, there are always parts of the story that don't get told, those things that the governments or the corporations don't want us to know. As with all things it's best to get the news and information from multiple sources if possible in order to get a well rounded picture of what is happening and how we can be voices for justice in an unjust world.

This week's long run was 16 miles. When I finished it I wanted to shout out to anyone within ear shot "I JUST RAN 16 MILES! I felt great - sore and tired and achy, of course, but emotionally great, so proud of myself I could hardly stop grinning. When I got home I gave Cindy a big hug and got tears in my eyes. I still can't believe I ran that far. It took me 2 hours and 56 minutes. And, to top it all off, I also feel like a made a new friend. LuAnn, a woman I've been running with on Saturday mornings for the past few weeks and who is a much stronger runner than I am, accompanied me on 11 of my 16 miles. I really enjoyed our conversations and talking with her made the run go by really fast. I'm very grateful to her for sticking with me.

Next Saturday, it's a 17 mile run and I'll be in Germany. The plan is to run along the Rhein River. I can't wait!

The Prophet Isaiah said: "For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered or come to mind." Indeed, on this Easter Sunday and every day a new heavens and a new earth are being created by our loving God if only we have eyes to see, ears to hear and the will to choose new life.

And so, new heavens and a new earth are possible for Haiti and they are possible for those who take risks and try new things and they are possible for everyone who chooses to embrace hope and possibility. Thanks be to God. Amen.