5 Ways to Fold a Palm

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(From the Ashleigh Buyer article in Catholic Herald this morning.)

Don’t worry, I am not going to go all ecclesiastical on you, but I respect people of faith, and appreciate the Judeo-Christian traditions of the West in a secular manner. But I also keep track of the holidays, even if every day is starting to look like a holiday in my reduced circumstances. Liberating. Maybe I should consider using my GI educational benefits on a decent seminary. Which are the best party schools, I wonder?

Anyway, a devout colleague sent a copy of Ashleigh Buyer’s fabulous article on what to do with your fresh palm branches. It was in the Catholic Herald this morning, and the link is below. There are going to be a lot of palm fronds floating around today, and Ashliegh’s preference is to fold them into roses, crosses, beehives and whips to adorn a crucifix.

http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/5-ways-to-fold-a-palm,28641

If you are going to weave something, you need to get on it- the branches are best folded when they are fresh and still flexible. I don’t know if you can remoisten them in the microwave if you wait until later in the week. I personally would probably weave a hat, if I could find the instructions, and then wear the hat someplace where I don’t have to wear much more than a pair of shorts and flip-flops.

A friend noted the other day that some of the polarization going on these days is the growing lack of common values. I think he was onto something there. The loss of a Christian-oriented public commons is sort of unsettling, like chiseling the Ten Commandments off the courthouse walls. I am normally a social Liberal in the old style, and view all established religions as a potential threat to liberty. But I liked the fact that there used to be a common understanding of what we were about as a species, based on thousands of years of accumulated experience.

We have, as a matter of public policy, been kicking religion out of any possible role in our society. Well, except the protected ones, of course, which to me makes a mockery out of the prosecution of Christians. I guess it goes without saying that they won’t fight back.

Sort curious. At Christmastime, I enjoy walking by the crèche out in front of the Methodist Church on the corner at Pershing. It feels comfortable, whether the narrative of the Christ Child’s birth is the revealed truth or not. I like the story.

There is all sorts of controversy about the Religious Freedom Act they just signed into law in Indiana. If it is actually something intended to encourage widespread discrimination based on religion or sexual preference, naturally I would oppose it. But I think what is happening here is that people- a lot of people- are getting fed up with being told that things they believe are sinful are just fine and the State says you have to deal with them whether you approve or not. For the record, I think it is an individual’s right to marry whoever they love- but let’s be real. There are plenty of places to buy a cake.

I am not so sure the State has any business telling us what is right or wrong about religion. If it did, there is a group I think needs talking to first. I may not agree with Christians about much, speaking doctrinally, but at least I understand them.

Copyright 2015 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303

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