12/29/2023

Friend JRB,

            My daughter is heading in your direction, although her ginormous cruise ship is not stopping at Frederiksted Pier, she will be sailing around in your vicinity with her partner’s family. I hope the weather is salubrious so you both have a happy New Year’s celebration.

            Do you read the CSM? If so, look at the piece where they asked 19 writers to reflect on “what is home?” Most wrote about places or moments where they felt love, comfort, & belonging. One pointed out, “home is where I’m humbled & celebrated.” A few noted that Nature is their home. Most poignant was Sara Miller Llana’s description of the Inuit in June & how they’d prefer to be out on the tundra at midnight than in their houses in bed.

            Isn’t it troubling that so many on our planet do not have a place to call “home?” Those on our border, in Gaza & in Cox’s Bazaar, the unhoused on the streets of our cities – none of them have a place of comfort & belonging, where they feel secure.

            News from Radio Free Asia indicates that youth in Aceh forced 137 terrified Rohingya out of their camp. Misinformation on social media vilified refugees indicating they were engaging in criminal acts. Indonesia is having an election in Feb & some worry that fomenting anti-Rohingya sentiment is part of Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto strategy to win (sound familiar?).

Traumatizing others has never brought relief to those who are acting out their rage through violence. This is at the heart of our WINTA principle. I’d love to hear you recite our mantra in public & tell the world that when we harm our neighbor, we harm ourselves. You could at least share Jesus’ idea that there’s always enough to go around.

            Speaking of which, did you see the good news in the NYT that their panel of 13 common citizens tended to feel ok about the economy -using words such as “optimistic” & “upward” to describe their opinions? Yeah!

            BYBS,