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04/27/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

Much ado about not much…

It’s possible that I am running out of topics to write about this week. It’s been a pretty quiet few days and there are no burning issues other than the political landscape to put into words. Political information is everywhere, so I don’t need to repeat any of it. Except to say I am absolutely flummoxed by the government’s arrest of a federal judge for allegedly interfering with an ICE illegal move in her courtroom. She bonded out and will be “arraigned” next month. WTF.

One of our clients, a man who has been in the United States for decades, went for his annual ICE appointment. He had a deportation order years ago, but his home country of Laos refused to accept him. So he is here with the permission of ICE. He has no recent criminal record but he did have a drug charge against him when he was much younger. He has long been past the probationary period and has lived a quiet life since then. He has US citizen children. He comes to us once a year to renew his work card so he can keep working and paying taxes. Last week when he went for his check in they put an ankle monitor on him and told him he is likely to be deported. He called his attorney, my coworker, and was completely bewildered. “Where can they send me?” was his main concern. Not Laos, who still refuses to take him back. We are praying that a trip to El Salvador is not in his future.

Today after church there is a monthly speaker series meeting. This one is about taking back our country, given by a woman who is an activist. The title of her talk is “Take Back America”. She has been active in 11 congressional lobby meetings in DC. One of the to-do things is to create an advocacy action plan for ways to live out our faith by speaking up. My friend, Vicki, who has visited our church several times, will meet me there and we’ll go to the talk after church. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. I am so grateful to belong to a church that is not afraid to address the hard issues that face every one of us.

Next week I have a meeting with Pastor Kevin about renewing a prayer program. We will talk about the possibility of having people available to pray with congregants. I don’t know how this will look, but I am anxious to meet with him. This is one aspect of my Unity experience that I really miss. Perhaps there is a role for me at Parkway United Church of Christ. 

Yesterday, and every Wednesday, I have occasion to pass by what used to be Webster Groves Christian Church. I was baptized there as an adult, and my kids were in the youth programs there. I belonged to the choir, one of the best I have ever been a part of. The people of this church made a necessary and excruciatingly hard decision to sell the building and the property it occupies. The neighboring golf club bought it last year. This Spring the building is being torn down. The sanctuary is just about all rubble, but the bell tower is still standing. Every time I go by there I feel profoundly sad to witness the systematic tear down of my old church. It is a reminder of the fate of churches who can no longer afford to heat and cool a large building. 

Today is what we call a “Super Sunday” 12 step meeting. It is scheduled for three hours, with speakers taking up most of the time. My slot to speak is at 4:10 this afternoon. It is a privilege to speak to like-minded people just trying to work a good program. We all share a common addiction and a common desire to build an effective recovery plan. I am so grateful to be a part of such an effort. 

Well, that’s all she wrote. Signing off for now.