Today’s gospel brings us to Jericho. It’s one of the oldest cities in the world, and it’s also the lowest city in the world, 900 feet below sea level. It’s also along one of the oldest trade routes in the world, connecting Africa to Europe and Asia.

We join Bartimaeus, whose name means “one of the esteemed or honored”. Let’s step into his place on the road out of Jericho heading toward Jerusalem. Although it’s a bright sunny day, it’s completely dark for you because you are blind in a place and time where begging is the way you can survive. You have a cloak. At night it keeps the chill off of you. But the days are hot and dusty.  Your cloak is there to catch the coins people may give you out of mercy. At least your condition is one that does inspire mercy.

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So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

It has been quite a week! All of us had our plans and expectations for the week completely change as hurricane Milton approached, and, almost surprisingly, stayed pretty much on the track that was predicted even before it became organized as a named storm.

We are very much thankful that our area seems to have come through without too much trouble. Lot of limbs down, some trees, lots of debris, and many people were without electricity for varying lengths of time. We are extremely thankful for the cool weather that followed Milton, which made clean up and sleeping more bearable.

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