Sunday Homily, June 3, Trinity Sunday
Readings: Proverbs 8, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5, 1-5; John 16, 12-15.
Proverbs: You may wonder what is being talked about here. It is Wisdom.
Giving Back
Psalm 8 is one of my favorites because it says that with all the beauty of creation around us, the heavens, the stars, still even more beautiful is the human being. Last week on Hilton Head Island I saw this in a few surprising ways.
First, did you know that at night the island has no street lights? As you ride around the little lanes, it is dark and there is the sensation that you are out in the boonies, which I liked. The island is heavily forested with live oaks and pine, even around the houses. The reason for the darkness is turtle migration. The turtles won’t come where there is a lot of light.
As much as this struck me, the next two things struck me more. They both touch on projects we as a community believe in and support. The first has to do with Habitat for Humanity, one of our favorites. Not only is there an active Habitat chapter on Hilton Head, but there is an all female chapter. The island has a number of retired & semi retired people. The women had helped with the local Habitat projects and decided they wanted to have their own group.
As a group they determined to reach out even beyond the island. Consequently, the women took themselves and their generosity to Ireland, of all places, and there they built a number of Habitat houses. They are still quite active, according to Rosemary’s sister.
The other phenomenon that struck me. Many of the 50 thousand full time residents on the island are retired professional people. They have free time and are ready to contribute it to the community. Many of the retirees are doctors and nurses.
They have set up their own clinic. Similar to the Collin County Adult Clinic we support, all the staff are pro bono, working for free. Dissimilar to our clinic, which is able to open only one night a week, Thursday, the Hilton Head clinic is apparently open seven days a week.This astounded me, because I know how difficult it is for Julia & Al and all the staff here in Plano to open even one night a week.
I’ve visited Clare & Joe probably four times over the past few years. I have ridden a bicycle over numerous shady roads and bike paths through the neighborhoods. This visit I got a look behind the facade. I am impressed. These folks, even in retirement, are giving back, through Habitat and through their clinic.
How are you giving back on this feast of the Trinity?
