Green Lent

Green Lent 3
Originally uploaded by paynehollow

My dear friend, Sue, introduced me to the concept of reading wedding and obituary listings just for the joy of seeing what might be seen. One of the things that I really look forward to when I do this are weird/interesting name combinations (like, what if they hyphenated their names when they got married?).

I have noticed names like the Muell-Skinner wedding, the Hardy-Harr wedding, and I'm forgetting others.

Here's another example, I had a friend growing up whose sister's name was Pam. Pam Burger. And it got worse: She married a guy named King (Pam Burger-King?).

Anyway, I like to watch for fun name groupings.

Once a few years back, our wonderful bicycling buddy, Jackie Green appeared in a news story about the problems with having too many cars prowling around, the pollution, the dangers, etc.

In the news story, they were quoting our environmentalist friend Jackie to represent one side of the story and they found a fella who worked for government who talked about why we ought to be expanding our roads to allow for more and more cars. This guy's last name was - wait for it - Carr.

And so you had Green vs Carr in a story about about just that.

I loved the irony.

This Easter, I think it is quite easy for us to find God in the color Green. It is all about us. It is what gives us life in a very fundamental way. We eat Green, we live in a Green and Blue world, we breathe deep green cleansing breaths when we find ourselves outside in this Holy Creation. Thanks be to God.

And the wrens have returned and they're nesting
In the hollow of that oak where his heart once had been
And he lifts up his arms in a blessing for being born again
And the streams are all swollen with winter
Winter unfrozen and free to run away now
And I'm amazed when I remember
Who it was that built this house
And with the rocks I cry out

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

~The Color Green, Rich Mullins