Up to 100,000 people have fled their homeland of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) in fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing by the hands of Azerbaijan military and government rulers. Already starving from a 10-month blockade, those fleeing are forced to escape through rough, unsafe territory and attacks from Azerbaijan military personnel before arriving in Armenia.
Kintsugi, the 15th-century Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the broken areas with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold or other precious metal, reminds us that when repaired, formerly broken places reveal new lines of character and beauty.
Along the High Trestle Trail, berries settle on.
Elderberries hang purple from red branches, dressed like Red Hat ladies out on the town. Honeysuckle opts for Christmas colors, setting red balls among still-green leaves. And the clustered white berries of the local dogwood carry dark center spots that make them look like manic eyeballs.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is closely monitoring Hurricane Sally as the slow-moving storm makes landfall in southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.
A tornado tore through parts of Nashville and nearby counties, resulting in extensive damage and loss of life, numerous collapsed buildings and broken trees. In addition to reaching out to the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee to offer help doing a damage assessment, PDA sent out a donation appeal on social media as well as a request for prayer for the affected communities.
As Christians, our response to climate change and its impact on our world is multifaceted. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is committed to working diligently and creatively to support people experiencing the impacts of climate change around the corner and around the world, both today and in the future. The stories that arise from the work of the Presbyterian Mission Agency are heart-wrenching, yet uplifting; deeply disturbing, yet inspiring. The efforts made possible by your prayers and your giving represent a few of the many lives touched and transformed because you have participated in Presbyterian Mission.
The pastor glumly ordered a salad with dressing on the side. Her lunch companion wondered whether her friend would rather have had a greasy hamburger instead. The pastor’s sour mood, though, wasn’t about healthy food choices. It was about the choice her session had made to lock the doors during Sunday morning worship.
It’s been more than a year, but the mere mention of the devastation causes Lourdes Perez’s chin to tremble. Tears fill her eyes.
Everything was lost. The coffee trees. The plantain trees. Everything from the farm she and her husband, César Oliver, had been building for more than three decades.
