Today, Rev. Cari preached the third and final sermon in the series on themes of Exile and Return. The text was Ezra 3:10-13, a narrative, a story from the moment of exiled Israel’s return to the land, when they lay the foundation for a new temple in Jerusalem.

The story is complex and nuanced. There are generational issues, affecting the emotional response of the people. Both memory and hope play a part, as do joy and sorrow.

And though we are not laying a foundation (literally) at this point in our “return” beyond the pandemic, she points out that we are at a point of needing to redefine what our life is “built” on.

She closes with an extended quote from Indian novelist, essayist and activist, Suzanna Arundhati Roy.