“The poet Monica Youn writes: “Angels are unthinkable in hot weather…” She writes of the misery of heat in Paris as she struggles through the day and makes one easy conclusion, “I don’t like to be touched.”

I sympathize with her as summer burns on in Dallas. I can tell that many of you have sought out cooler climes if you could because I see many of your social media posts. I see happy Dallas Unitarians in places with breezes and mountains. In July I will share some of that splendor as I take off on a off road bicycle-packing trip north of San Francisco and then across the country to bury my dad in Massachusetts. Cooler temperatures are lovely, but I know they are only temporary relief from deeper needs. To be with others, especially family we haven’t seen in many months, is a deeper need many will satisfy this summer. Another need is being with people we choose rather than the ones we are quarantined with in our homes. And yet another is being freed to be out in the world.

Even as I anticipate that feeling of the unthinkable hot weather, I want to argue with the deeper meaning of Youn’s poem. I want to “be touched” by the world, noticing friendship’s tenderness, family loyalty, beauty in landscapes, and what love and meaning I can find in what I do. Being touched means we are open to the changes we have not witnessed yet because we have been concerned with health and safety. As we emerge into the world, notice how things and how you have changed. It is hot out in Texas, as it is in other parts of the country, but life goes on and we can find meaning in our days. While the staff prepare to receive you back in person, much has changed for us; new protocols, new staff and ministers, a new building and more. We anticipate but cannot imagine how “touching” it will be to see you together again. August 15 is our soft opening and Ingathering is on September 12.

We can’t wait.