I just came back into the house from trying to deal with a MASSIVE wasp metropolis that was established in a hollow tree next to our house while we were away. Balancing on the edge of a rainy rooftop in the dark, spraying deadly chemicals into a nest the size of a small car (insert super hero-ish music here) has me thinking about mortality – mine, in particular. And that has me thinking about what is worth dying for.

I would like to spend our Mondays in August exploring something I’ve been imagining as “The Sunset Dialogues”.  The concept springs from a movie called The Sunset Limited, which is a conversation between two men; one an ex-con who claims to hear the voice of Jesus, the other a professor that the ex-con has stopped from throwing himself in front of a train. The issue that is up for debate is whether to go on with life or not – whether to give in to despair or to carry on with hope. While we might not all feel that we face that crisis directly or acutely, the question of whether we will live with hope or not has broad implications, and is worth wrestling with.

And if that sounds a bit too heavy for a fine summers eve, if you ask me I’ll tell you how the wasp assault turned out…

Looking foward to seeing you all soon, and to catching up on what has been happening to and amongst us.

Peace.