So today I have two topics I wonder about. They are not big enough for a single blog so I will combine them. So here we go!
We start with the monoliths which continue to pop up all over the world. The twentieth was just discovered this week in an area outside of Las Vegas.
They are three or four-sided monoliths ranging from six to twelve fee tall weighing up to 500 pounds. Some of them are publicity stunts in response to the first one sighted last year. But the real mystery are the ones appearing in the middle of nowhere in desolate areas. There is even a website dedicated to them called "monolith tracker." This site reports monoliths and classifies them. A monolith may be a type S for significant or type Q for questionable. The site is fun to visit but in the end makes no sense.
My other topic had to do with heroes., I worked at the California State Capitol for five years and originally was going to work in politics and government. I eventually had trouble with the politics of politics. But it raised a question for me.
Growing up we learned about heroes in our history books or from our memories or stories told to us by adults. I have fond experiences of skipping school and standing by the side of the road and waving when John Fitzgerald Kennedy drove by. I loved his humor and ability to make a speech. I worked in the Capitol during the Ronald Reagan era. I met him a number of times and watched him at events. I did not always agree with his stances but I respected him. You always knew how he stood on an issue.
Going back in history, we read of Teddy Roosevelt and FDR and their abilities. But again that is history which is always an interpretation. We know now there are other views and a reality we won't reach inless we were there.
The reason I bring it up is I wonder about the heroes of today. It seems absolutely dangerous to run for an elected office. It seems like the issuers of information want to attack and show people there are no heroes. Well I'm sorry, but I think there are: they just aren't where we expect them.
Let me give you a couple who are heroes. They worked in the region for years; I got to work with them while serving on the Board of Directors for the Interfaith Council.
Chris and Dan Delaney were a former nun and a former priest who hot married. They had been doing work in the Catholic Worker Movement. The also worked with Cesar Chavez in organizing the Farm Workers.
In the 1980's they opened their home in Sacramento to people who did not have public healthcare. They eventually started a program to feed the hungry by serving sandwiches out of their car trunk. They became activists in the region for poverty justice.
They started serving a midday meal at Loaves and Fishes in 1983 and their dedication grew. Soon their programs included breakfast, showers, laundry, a school for homeless children, mental health counseling, legal advice, and much more.
Today Loaves and Fishes is a 4.5 acre campus with 16+ programs serving over 1,000 people daily. The work of the Delaney's in the last forty years has birthed a facility that recognizes the dignity and spiritual destiny of each person. It works from a position of radical love that nourishes not only physical needs but also human needs/
There are many such heroes in our community that do this kind of work. These are the people I want to join in spreading good and recognizing spirit. When you see a hero, thank them! Even better join them in their work...........
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