Monday, December 4, 2006

Road Kill Cabbage


In Colquitt County, Georgia where I now live and serve as Pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church, there is a certain type of road kill that everyone waits for with eager anticipation. I first ate some of this road kill at a church dinner. It was lovingly prepared by Betty Vaughn, a vegetarian High School English Teacher. Betty was new to our church family at the time.

"Yum, yum," said Pastor Linda. "This is the freshest cole slaw I ever ate."

"It's road kill cabbage." Said Schoolteacher Betty. "The cabbages roll off the trucks on their way to market and wind up in the ditch in front of my house. Whatever rolls off is fair game."

Betty lives on a rural road near a cabbage field that goes on for miles. It's a sea of what Crayola Crayon Company used to call "medium green." I'm going to miss the road kill cabage slaw.

I have not run across any road kill peanuts that have fallen off open trucks on their way to market, but I have seen lots of road kill cotton. The little bolls of cotton are scattered beside all the highways after harvest. It falls off the trucks on the way to the gins. No one bothers to gather it because we have not found a good use for it.

This week I am in Camden County preparing for my move. I have seen road kill here, but it wasn't cabbage or cotton. It was four-footed creatures who didn't look twice before crossing a busy highway. Please help me watch out for these little creatures, because they look so much better alive.

"O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (from the Book of Common Prayer)

Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

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