John Caputo is a theologian and a philosopher, and a bit of a character.  If you read his books you will be stretched in what will likely be uncomfortable ways.  Of course, when we lean into moments of discomfort we frequently discover opportunities to grow. That’s important to recognize, but not my primary point in this article. 

This morning I asked a colleague for a topic to write about in this article.  He mentioned cognitive dissonance as a possible topic.  That may not sound like a very interesting or exciting topic, and I balked at first, but then recognized it is actually a worthy topic to discuss, so please read on. 

I started thinking about farmers and ranchers this morning while reading an article about the fruit growing industry in Florida.  The Asian citrus psyllid is a tiny brown bug that eats the leaves and stems of citrus trees, and leaves a bacteria behind that causes greening on the fruit that results in inedible fruit.

It is human nature to fear the unknown.  I recall a song from my youth that included the line, “You don’t know which way the wind blows, so how can you plan tomorrow?” A fitting set of lyrics for South Dakota where the wind constantly blows and constantly changes directions.