estuary

-
Beverly supports a baby on the baby-supply area.
The new U.T. Marine Science Institute Estuary Explorium is now open, and I get to be a volunteer docent! I've been learning more about the unique ecosystem created there where the freshwater from rivers co-mingles with saltwater from the gulf, like it does in our bay here between the island and the mainland. It creates a place where so much life thrives. It is also an in-between place. It's not the ocean nor the river. The water's salinity, temperature, and level change with weather, seasons, and tides. The flora and fauna are uniquely evolved to exist in that ever-changing environment, so long as the changes aren't too swift or drastic.

After my volunteer orientation, but before my first day as a docent, I spent some time in a sort-of cultural estuary. Three of us from Port Aransas traveled toward the United States-Mexico border; as we started our journey, I soon I realized that we were already moving from one type of cultural waters into another. We stopped off at a convenience store just outside of Corpus Christi where the primary language being spoken inside was Spanish, and the signs were bilingual. We were heading to the border to assist the churches in McAllen with their ministry to the families and children seeking asylum in the United States as they flee from the violence in their home countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. After traveling over 1,000 miles by train, vehicles, and on foot, many of the people arrive sick, hungry, and dehydrated. In May of this year, the citizens and churches of McAllen realized they needed to do something about the people arriving in their city as a way-station to other destinations across the United States. (At their final destination each refugee will go to a court and be tried before asylum is granted.)
Burt and I are sorting and packing supplies.

The result of the efforts of the church is that families and children do not fall prey to human traffickers and other predators trying to take advantage of the disoriented people. The churches are making sure that that the hungry are fed, the nearly-naked are clothed, and the thirsty are given a drink. It also means that the people arriving in McAllen are efficiently managed and get to the bus station on time, ready to move on to their final destinations, instead stagnating in that border town.

We live on the edge of a couple of geographical estuaries. One is our bay, and the other is the area around our border. It is important for us take responsibility for both of them and do what we can to keep them healthy if for no other reason, then to keep ourselves healthy. We are among the creatures who are uniquely evolved to live in such an ever-changing ecosystem, and we know how to adapt to keep these estuaries healthy, even when the conditions change. 

In one of the Biblical Creation stories, humanity is the last of God's creation: the final touch of the masterpiece; the crowning jewel of God's Very Good Creation. As part of this place of privilege, we are given responsibility (variously translated as "having dominion," "being stewards," or "governing") over all that God has created. Into this good creation, Jesus came to us to show what that really looks like: caring for the least among us as the way of sharing God's love and light. "Agape" is the Greek word for that sort of love. It's different from romantic love or familial love. It is the love that gives so that others may live the full life God intends for each of us. 

I'm still in the process of learning about our Mission-Aransas Reserve Esutuary, and I'm still learning about our McAllen Border Refugee Ministry. Each is complex and effected by our politics, and what's happening "upstream." The upstream problems will have to be addressed in due time in order to keep each estuary healthy. Trying to comprehend everything at once is overwhelming, but for now, I can go sort clothes, and offer water to a weary traveler. I can also be a docent for an education center, and I can pick up trash around the bay and beach. I can realize my place of privilege and try be a good steward of the corner God's very good creation where I live.

Originally Published in the South Jetty

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

plastic: a spiritual perspective

-
Image
Plastic bag in front of Trinity by the Sea On a recent trip to Austin, I was surprised and delighted not to be handed a plastic bag when I checked out of a grocery store. I wasn't buying much, so I was able to carry out my things without remembering to bring in my reusable bags. For some time now, I've gotten in the habit of turning down plastic bags in convenience stores when they try to put my humble bag of sunflower seeds, lonely, in another bag. The plastic grocery bag has become like a handshake at the end of the deal: it seems to make the shopping experience complete. It is such an ingrained habit, that the person behind the cash register sometimes gets a suspicious look when I ask for no bag, as if thinking, "This yahoo is threatening our way of life!" I think about habits a lot, as a Christian of the Episcopal persuasion. Our practices and our experiences in everyday life shape the way we understand our relationship with God, with others, and with ours
Read more

movin' the tide

-
Image
I recently saw a performance by Shinyribs Russell and heard him tell the background story on his song, " Who Built the Moon ." He told a funny story about a conspiracy theorist's idea the moon was built by someone. I like the song for what it is, never mind the conspiracy. That song went through my head again and again this weekend as the Super Moon rose from the gulf horizon, sailed across the sky, and set over the bay. The moon, "hangin' in the sky, shakin' the oceans, and movin' the tide" has long shaped our human lives. It has helped us mark time, it can guide us in our fishing habits, and it inspires artists, musicians, and fireside philosophers. Life looks different in the moonlight. On Sunday morning, as I finished writing my sermon, I took a break to walk outside to see the Super Moon set, and I caught it hanging in the porch of the church. That night, Laura, Eli, and I went to the beach to watch it rise again. Someone told me it's t
Read more
-
Image
For the past three years, I have preached the Gospel Easter Morning including a pop song. The first year it was Widespread Panic's Diner . Last year Prince's I Would Die For You , and this year, the Grateful Dead's Ripple. Music is so inspiring to me, and it is an easy connection to relate to God, Resurrection, and new life through some of my favorite songs, even when they don't use traditional church language. Easter Morning 2023 My earliest impression of the Grateful Dead was as a pre-teen, staying the night at long time friends of my parents and sharing a room with Monroe their son. Earlier in the day Monroe had sent me down a fairly steep hill on his old bike which had no brakes. I managed to stop by veering off the road into the open arms of a magnolia tree. Monroe was so cool. So that night, after having some Neapolitan ice cream we watched MTV. If you remember MTV, you’ll understand how excited he was that a music video of one of his favorite bands, the Grateful
Read more