Malta

My pre-holiday post had it right - in a way.

Some of the oldest megalithic structures on the planet and some
of the swankiest yachts owned by some of the richest people too;
cheek by jowl with peasants who sell prickley pear fruit
by the dusty wayside.

Right on the water's edge on the Vittoriosa side of
Valleta's Grand Harbour was a fascinating place to stay (and swim).
This is not a holiday blog so suffice it to record one
incident of contrasts. USS Learsarge an American amphibious warship
stacked with helicopters, came into harbour looking
grey and full of foreboding on The Feastday of the Assumption.
At Mass that night in the Church of St Lawrence some of
the warship's Caribbean crew and US embassy staff made up an
impromtu choir singing mainly soul music hymns that had
not a few local Maltese ladies in tears. They (the US choir) were really
good to listen to and sing with. Later when an
ancient but colourful old water taxi took the 5 of us for
an unscheduled detour to look at the ship, what warships are
really about was illustrated by our being carefully
surveilled thoughout, by a beefy looking armed US Marine
who only lowered his guard when our tiny craft moved onto
the seaplane port.

Holiday with Profound History

Holidays beckon at last.

Malta is the maytrees' destination this
summer. Intriguing island junction between Europe, Middle East and Africa,
with huge history of Catholic and Islamic influences; not to
mention the British being invited in on fears of Napoleon
and the populations' amazing courage during WWII resulting in the whole
Island being awarded the George Cross for bravery.

All this for a country hardly any larger than the
Isle of Wight off Portsmouth.

Summer 2007 At Last Hits SW20 - The Bishops Get it Right

After floods which ko'd the Church Hall a week or so back,
and weeks of grey skies punctuated by torrential rain storms,
summer 2007 seems finally to have arrived in Wimbledon.

Even at 07:45 during my early morning jog over the Common
the temperature had climbed to the high 60sF; by mid day is
over 70 and the 80s beckon for this afternoon.
Lazy Sunday lunch in the garden with friends should be good and summery.

Yet reading about the parched River Murray in Australia and the
farmers there whose livelihoods are in peril through years of drought
and the thousands in Asia whose very lives are in peril through
major floods, illustrates how the lives of all of us who share this planet are
really connected. One land's flood is another land's drought.

There is much that can be said of the Catholic Bishop's of England and Wales
that is not especially flattering but their publication entitled:

"The Common Good:State, Society and Social Justice,"

Is spot on in its comment that:

"It has become clear that care for the environment presents a major challenge for the whole of humanity in the 21st Century. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales wishes to add its voice to the many calling for urgent action to protect our earthly home from further destruction. A way of life that disregards and damages God's creation, forces the poor into greater poverty, and threatens the right of future generations to a healthy environment and to their fair share of the earth's wealth and resources, is contrary to the vision of the Gospel."

Being greedy with resources in one part of the world will not only lead to
deprivation in other areas but will also eventually damage life everywhere.

Still summer days in SW20 are great.