We are into summer, so says the weatherperson. It is time to fish, swim, bike ride, work in the garden and all the other things that warm weather delivers. It is time to slow down and sit in the sun, if that is possible. Summer is my favorite time of the year, mostly due to work on garden and lake activities.

Summer comes and goes but some things just come. Poverty, violence, lack of education and employment, incarceration grows in the racially segregated areas of Milwaukee, like North Central Milwaukee. For the poor in these racially segregated areas of poverty life becomes like a living nightmare. A five year boy was shot while playing with his friends outside today. Food for poor is hard to get and many go hungry. Shelter is hard to find and many end up on streets or homeless shelters. Jobs are harder to find and getting to a job is even harder. Children are taken away from mother at a young age and parents find difficult to get their own children back. Agencies compete to get money for poor and ill, but often just enlarge their staff and facilities. Not much of money given to the poor gets to poor. Big brother, City, County, State and Federal Governments watch over us and tell us often what we do or not do. No one knows what the ‘common good’ means.

But our music concerts in the parks goes on almost every night of the year and the Big Gig, Summerfest, world’s largest music festival is just a few weeks away. It is good to find fun in the midst of such squalor if you can afford it. But the boiling pot of poverty and racism keeps building and hopefully will not boil over.

Talking to an elderly friend tonight, she still feels for the troubles of this city, especially for children and young people. She believes that in many ways we are returning to slavery, children are separated from parents; young men are being incarcerated and punished for every little thing; people go hungry and are at the mercy of the ‘masters’, the powers that be. However, she has hope since she knows that she and others will struggle with everything they have for justice. Name calling, ignoring, even jail will not stop them. For she believes that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor not the rich and that Mary’s song in the Gospel of Luke, Magnificat will come true:

He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.Emphasized
He has filled the hungry with good things,
‘’and the rich He has sent away empty.
‘’
How will this happen, the world turned upside down? We do not know. But we believe it is happening and will happen and all we can do is our best to make it happen. The poor will rise, the hungry will have food, and prisoners will be released. Summer is coming.

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