Everyday God

The teachers' and Ministry of Health's strikes continue so I still have a lot of time on my hands to do fun things like paint my house baby blue and chase the pigs back into their corrals. And in a synchronicity of free time and needed time of type that doesn't happen often enough, the Urban Justice Center, a non-profit where I used to work will soon be publishing a report on the Food Stamp Program and New York City's large immigrant population. We did a lot of research on this issue back when I was a Research Associate there and in the last couple of days I have been helping a bit with the very exciting development of a final product, a report. Happily, I have the free time to read while the folks with whom I usually work lobby for better pay and less monitoring. I have also been devouring some of the spiritual and self-helpy books that my dear friend Dave has been feeding me with a very long spoon from the Big City.

The Violence of Love, a compilation of homilies by Oscar Romero, former Archbishop of San Salvador sat up and bit be back yesterday. These sermons were broadcast by radio in El Salvador in the 1970's. The everyday-ness of the November 20, 1977 entry was just what I needed yesterday. I hope that you like it. This is just the last half of the poem because the first part is too preachy for my taste. On the other hand, I always appreciate a reminder of the sacred everyday and a reassurance about the interconnectedness of spirits.

….
How many cabdrivers, I know, listen to this message
there in their cabs;
you are a priest at the wheel, my friend,
if you work with honesty,
consecrating that taxi of yours to God,
bearing a message of peace and love
to the passengers who ride in your cab.

So cheers to your taxi and keep and eye out for the new report!