LivinginCoronavirusworld 71: #BlackoutTuesday

6/2

#BlackoutTuesday

#BlackoutTuesday.  Simple stark messages in back screes the order of the day.

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A postal worker in uniform stops in front of her building.  Talking on her  phone…”and all the  people lost their job, out of work. And y’all be breaking into stores and getting arrested.  It’s stupid, Just plain stupid…”

Keeping the people fed

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Christo has died. I remember when his Gates installation one winter turned Central Park it a wonderland that shifted and changed with each moment as the wind blew, a work of wordless beauty. One would never imagine that Central Park would be home to an installation of emergency medical tents. Owned and staffed by a conservative anti-lgbtq evangelical paraministry. Or that an American  President would withdraw funding for the World Health Organization and intend to redirect it to Franklin Graham’s “Samaritans’ Purse.” As I was along the  Meer, I can see the orange flags of the Gates dancing in the wind.

The Gates

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New York City is now under curfew.

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The Public Theatre has cancelled its virtual gala believing it would be not appropriate under the current social reality.

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The President gasses peaceful protestors and forces them out with stun and flash grenades, and rubber bullets. And church volunteers who had been providing water and granola bars to protestors all day long.  The President walks across the lawn. Holds a Bible. That’s it.

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New York City Presbytery makes history by holding it stated meeting via ZOOM. A hundred commissioners more or less, all hooked up. Some without computers hooked up by phone.  Of course it does not come off without a  hitch. It is, after all, ZOOM. But I learn  there is a break out room option for small group meetings. Back in the plenary, there are those moments when a husband and wolf both have their  mics open in the same room and we all experience that horrible ZOOM moment that is  somewhere between an echo chamber and MRI soundtrack. Virtually unbearable because they usually  don’t know what to do even once we know where it’s coming from.  For better or worse, it more or less works. The essential decisions are made. Guidelines for  reopening are approved. Guidelines that almost ensure reopening  is a loong way off.

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Left with an abundance of brown rice, which is its own long story, throughout the 3 hour Presbytery meeting I am cooking vegetarian brown rice black bean chili with crushed tomatoes,  chipotles and spices. By the time the meeting is over and I have walked and worked out, it the chili is deep an dark and rich.  All part of how we get by.