This morning I'll lead worship at Trenton United Church with an All Saints theme. We'll probably go for a walk this afternoon to take advantage of the sunshine and the vestiges of Autumn leaves. The fragrance of the carpet of leaves in the woods is a sort of Creation incense, a distinct gift of the season. We assume that the air we breathe will be relatively clean, even though we live in that part of Canada with the heaviest population. I trust that God will be present in the sanctuary of the church and the woods.
I've been thinking about the children of New Delhi, in India, the city which is number 6 on the list of worst air pollution in the world, with five other Indian cities ahead of it. At the moment the pollution level is at 19 times what is deemed acceptable, and the 30 million people of the city are choking. Five million children will be issued face masks but parents have been encouraged to keep them inside. The homes of the middle class and wealthy have air purifiers which run constantly, but millions don't have that luxury.
We are hearing a lot about the scourge of plastic everywhere, including our oceans and in our bodies. While this is important and often an eyesore, the air we breathe is essential to our existence. The thin layer surrounding the planet allowing life is a miracle which we can't take for granted. As God-breathed Groundlings, adamah, we must find a better way for the health of all creatures.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits in the haze
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