All this talk of air this week reminded me that our Minnesota summers include many days when the air just feels heavy and thick. During those hot days at the cabin last week, I experienced those moments when it felt like you have to wade through the air, like dragging your body through the waters of a lake or pool. At home, our air-conditioner is working double time to keep our home comfortable and the shock of stepping outside the dehumidified interior can be like walking into a wall.
Minnesota summers are one of those liminal places and times where air and water coexist. And a fitting entry point for our turn this coming Sunday from air to water as the featured component of creation. “In the beginning… a wind from Godswept over the face of the waters.” (Gen 1:1-2) The combination of God’s breath with the water initiates the creation process and all life flows from this moment. Curiously, the narrative found in the second chapter of Genesis seems to suggest that land, rather than water, covered the earth first and then God willed a stream to rise. But, here again, I’m struck by how life doesn’t follow until God works through the waters.
Have you ever had an experience with a “swamp cooler?” We had a big commercial-grade air cooler like this in my first restaurant. The outside air is blown through a screen over which water cascades down, transferring heat from the air to the water. Of course, the air becomes much more humid as a result, but it can be an effective way to cool in dryer environments. Swamp coolers don’t work nearly so well in Minnesota.
How are you staying cool on these extra hot days this summer? Together, let’s give thanks for all the ways that air and water deliver on God’s promises for life. Let’s also give thanks for all the scientists and engineers that have harnessed their gifts to help make us comfortable, even when the air gets thick.
May God’s peace find you this day. – Pastor Peter
Let us pray…God, as the heat of summer intensifies, we pray for those without air conditioning or electricity, clean water, and health care. For all of our neighbors in “survival mode”, give them the communities and resources to not only survive, but to thrive this summer. And Lord, remind us to give you a drink when we see you thirsty. Amen (source: Sojourners)