It's only May and it's summer.  It's hotter than it is supposed to be, and we've not had enough rain.  It's Texas though, so this may not indicate what the rest of the season will be.  Around here, we turn up the fans, crank the AC, ice down the tea and stay close to water. 

It's not an easy time for the poor.  Air conditioning is expensive and many forgo the comfort of cool air to save money.  It's not just comfort though for many.  In central Texas, like many areas of our country and world, our air quality continues to diminish.  The refrigeration dries the air and makes it breathable for those with respiratory problems. Cutting out the air conditioning makes it more difficult for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to breath. Fans help decrease the sensation of suffocation, but fans cost money.  

This year we have invited members, past and present, of the College of Pastoral Leaders to consider what it means to seek justice.  In a country that has been at war for almost 8 years, with genocide in Darfur, and  hundreds of thousands left homeless and vulnerable in Myanmar, the concept of seeking justice can be overwhelming.  Each place we turn there is more to do and more uncovered. 

Which brings me back to breath.  Time spent in prayer always reminds me of my breathing.  Perhaps I'm a loud breather, perhaps I just don't slow down enough to realize that in and out the flow of this mysterious gift of God enters and exits my body and is shared with all creatures around the world.  Today, as I sat waiting for a ride, the air was hot and muggy, and I wondered about those who find it hard to breathe.  As I am wont to do, I allowed my thoughts to trot off into all the depressing news of the day, when I remembered Family Eldercare's Fan Drive.  $10 is not much for me, but it will buy someone a fan.  It will help make someone cool, and it may make breathing a bit easier.   

So, in my practice of prayer, I will pay attention to my breath.  Perhaps it will help me to remember that justice seeking does not necessarily mean taking on the tribulations of the world.  Perhaps it means opening my eyes to the world around me.  If it's unbearably hot for me...it's unlivable hot for someone else.