Today’s photographs are actually part of an ongoing record of what was happening in my part of the world for the past couple of days.  The epiphyllum blossoms that are wilted are the end of those vibrant red blossoms I posted on the seventh of this month.  This is only the eleventh, and the final bulb on the mother plant opened yesterday.  I took the picture just this morning.   I went to the bank for Margaret a couple of days ago and got the picture of the hill above Mission Valley at the north end of Plaza Boulevard.  I think the area is called University Heights because SDSU ( I think this information is valid) was once a school either planned for the area or was actually located in the area for a time.  The first picture is from yesterday.  I was going into Linder Hall at First United methodist Church first to have supper and then to attend a discussion (called something with the word “holy” in it) about human sexuality, particularly whether or not the Methodist Church should end it’s homophobia and accept that LGBTQ persons, as well as all the other people who are human beings.  The church will leave the belief that people do not at some time in their youth choose their sexual orientation.  Science and psychological and social science have all determined through research and careful study that sexual orientation is built into the person from birth.  Of course, the church will eventually accept LGBTQ persons as legitimate persons, acceptable to God and to congregations for any employment the church has open to people.  The day will come soon when everybody who learned as children that the Bible is a historical text will have forgotten that there ever was a problem.  Some of them will learn that the Bible is a faith text, others will go on believing that the Bible is historically accurate in every respect, but that there is some other reason for the church’s change of heart and mind.  The church will change.  Some other Christian groups and other religious organizations will hold onto the “magic” elements in religion for a longer time; but they will be fewer and less powerful, and LGBTQ people will join the rest of the human community in lobbying for equality for all people. 

I looked at that last sentence and was about to change it to say that perhaps the rest of the human community will join LGBTQ persons in lobbying for equality for all people; and I changed my mind because I know some LGBTQ people who treat other people as inferiors, and I know of many people who are not LGBTQ who have soldiered on in favor of inclusion of all people without regard to sexual orientation.  So I’ll just say the world seems to be getting better… and I’ll wonder at least for the remainder of today if the world is indeed getting better.