Garland

Pink-and-blue silk garland from South India.

In memory of my bishop friend David, who died today in Fresno, a few weeks past his 75th birthday. May saints and angels escort him to his heavenly rest.

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As a representative of my Episcopal diocese, I was treated as an honored guest when visiting Chennai (then, Madras) in Tamil Nadu, South India. Floral garlands were draped around my neck. They were beautiful but their weight and perfume were difficult to bear in the 105º F heat.

The final garland I received before I returned to the U.S. was this silk one. It was a token from my host, a priest named Trinity who would later become Bishop of Vellore in the Church of South India.

Years later I learned from a poetry-and-art collaboration by Patria and Barbara that "garland" is also a poetic form, and tried my hand at it.

UNION is the challenge topic.

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The Church of South India is a union of four denominations: Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational. It was formed in 1947, shortly before Britain turned over the Raj to local rule in 1948. The saddest result of this emancipation was the division of India into Hindu and Muslim territories, despite the best efforts of Mahatma Ghandi, resulting in the formation of Indian and Pakistan as separate states. People of the region continue to suffer the consequences of this act of disunion. Ghandi envisioned a single country where people of differing religions would be united in brotherly love and common citizenship. The whole world is a victim of this failure to form a more perfect union.

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From the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.