Tuesday saw our young pirates not only planting seeds in the ground, but also watering them. They learned about our snazzy new rain barrel, only to learn in the next breath that we cannot use such water to grow vegetables because of the pollutants it picks up from flowing over roof tiles. The rain barrel will be useful for watering plants and grass, but not for raising food.
So the kids then had to troop across the campus to get water from another source and carry it back, bringing to mind images of rural villagers walking for miles to bring back buckets of water from a well for planting and cooking. We’re not very familiar with this routine in our culture, yet it is at the heart of life for millions of people the world over. And while some people may have access to safe water, most do not. We didn’t have time to show
this video to the kids, but I commend it to all of you to watch at home.
Theologically, we tied the day’s activities to the Parable of the Good Shepherd. Josh Hosler led the kids through this parable in Godly Play form, and Mary Friedlander explored it in another way during Chapel time by reminding the kids, “You have everything you need.” What a fitting way for “Granny Mary” to celebrate her 84th birthday—right here among the St. Thomas children she has loved spending time with for decades!
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