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Dear Friends,
I've been in a little bit of a funk the last couple of days, which I've contributed to several different causes. I thought perhaps I was in a post-vacation slump, or maybe I was just out sorts with my kids away at summer camp this week. Maybe I'm feeling the natural lull of summer, and therefore am lacking the motivation to do much.
While I'm sure all of those factors may be at play, I think the real problem has been that every time I've stepped outside over the last couple of days I've been met with gray or yellow haze, and more often than not the smell of smoke hangs in the air. Our campus at Trinity felt eerie on Wednesday, with very few people out and about while the sky turned sepia.
I'm reminded of how I felt during COVID. Even when I could assure myself that I was healthy and okay in any given moment, I could not shake the pervasive sense that we were all in danger. The same was true this week. I am not in a risk category for air quality issues, but I couldn't stop thinking about people who are. And I couldn't forget that somewhere - hundreds of miles away from me - parts of our earth are on fire and animals, humans, and habitats are threatened.
As uncomfortable as I have been over the last couple of days, this has been a precious reminder of the deep connection we have to one another and to God's creation. I am so often lost in the cares and concerns of my own life, but the very thing that makes life worth living is the way my life is interwoven with all of humanity and with thick forests, rolling waves, winds, and rain.
Soon enough the winds will shift and our skies will clear. We'll be back to enjoying our bright summer days in one of the most beautiful places to be this time of year. As grateful as I'll be for blue skies, I hope I don't forget our interconnectedness, or our call to continue to tend to this fragile earth, our island home.
With gratitude and hope,
Meaghan
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