a week of pivotal moments

I took some time off during the last week. It was mostly time to gather with family and friends and to do some deep reflection on the life I live in communion with others, beginning with my husband, children and extended family – but connecting outward to my near neighbors, my companions along the way and the wider world of people and creatures and all of creation.

It was inspiring to read Laudato Sii, the Encyclical on Ecology written by Pope Francis. With the publication of this document it felt like a sea of energy was let loose into the commons where people of all faiths and even those of no faith could together embrace the call to come together to care for our common home.

Casting a shadow on the joy of the publication of Laudato Sii was the horrible event in Charleston which happened about the same time. In Charleston a young man let loose racial hatred and fear, murdering nine innocent black people who had gathered to study and pray. The tragedy shouted out one more time: This nation has not yet fully addressed the smoldering racial tensions just below the surface of society, and it continues to fail tragically in response to gun control and violence.

On Tuesday I met with the Mayor at a gathering that included about a dozen others who work with environmental organizations to influence policy that is kind to Creation.  The mayor has been invited to Rome to participate with mayors from 40 other cities around the world in a conference titled Modern Slavery and Climate Change. The Tuesday meeting was an opportunity for the Mayor to gather insights from community members regarding the city and climate issues before going to Rome. Another group will be giving the mayor thoughts regarding the city and Modern Slavery -- (human trafficking).

The very next day the Supreme Court once again affirmed the Affordable Healthcare Act allowing millions of people covered by insurance from the Federal pool to give a collective sigh of relief: they will continue to have coverage. There was great rejoicing at this victory – though some people seem bound and determined to take healthcare away from vulnerable people. Undoubtedly there will continue to be challenges down the road.

The next day, Thursday, I awoke to the news that the Supreme Court had affirmed the right for all citizens to marry the person they love regardless of gender. As I listened to some of the excited responses it was clear that for some people another chapter in the culture wars was ramping up. There was lots of joy and relief surrounded by confusion, fear and prejudice.

All of these were pivotal moments in just one week’s time. 

My spiritual goal is to live a life of Compassionate Presence, conscious of the suffering and pain that exists and ready to do what I can to create harmony and peace, living without fear, holding on to hope and encountering others with compassionate presence wherever I find myself, whatever I am called to do. Everything is connected.  Everything we do matters.

In paragraph 91 of Laudato Si, Pope Francis says this:

91. A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings. It is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangered species while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking, unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwanted. This compromises the very meaning of our struggle for the sake of the environment. It is no coincidence that, in the canticle in which Saint Francis praises God for his creatures, he goes on to say: “Praised be you my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love.” Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.

I think that says what I believe at this moment after all of those other moments of the week.

Take time. Don't be afraid. Act with love. 

Live in the present moment with as much compassionate presence as possible. 

Everything is blooming

I have been very busy with my garden. Yesterday I made raspberry jam... already! Usually I make jam toward the end of the raspberry cycle when everyone gets tired of eating them fresh, but there are so many this year we can't "eat up" with them.
I also have zucchini beginning to grow -- yes! zucchini in my garden. I have never been able to grow Zucchini for some reason. I might get one or two and that is it, but not this year. I also have a green pepper already on the plant and some tomatillos as well. The tomatoes are blooming, the beans are climbing, the beet greens are coming up... everything is doing very very well.
I talked to my daughter-in-law's cousin a couple of days ago. He is an organic farmer up in Washington. He remarked that crops in the Pacific Northwest are about 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule. By the looks of my garden that is more than true. I was able to plant earlier as well since I didn't have to wait until the ground dried out a little as has been the case in normal years. I could never plant in early spring before as the ground would be a muddy sponge. But not this year. This year is different.
Later this week Pope Francis will be publishing his Encyclical on Ecology and Climate. Like many people I am very curious and looking forward to reading what he has to say. I have already heard negative voices and the document hasn't even been printed. Others seem anxious for the Pope to agree with them, whatever that means. The reality is that regardless of what he says, nothing will happen within the faith community unless individual people and the communities they belong too make a decision to change.
There have many good documents written before that simply get sidelined because they are too controversial or inconvenient for the comfortable way people have found to live. Nonetheless there is always a chance that people will take note and feel inspired to reflect on Creation, humanity and the Earth Community in a different way, one that includes the 100% and doesn't allow any group to dominate the other. Wouldn't that be amazing?
Praise Be! Caring For Our Common Home.
Watch for it Thursday June 18th.
     

Coming Up Strong

I just came in from a walk around the yard and I feel quite elated. All the seedlings and transplants are coming up strong. There are blossoms on the Tomatillos and some of the tomato plants are up tow of three rungs higher in their "cages" and I will have plenty of peppers to pickle and freeze if they continue at the rate they are growing.  The lettuce is nearly ready to eat as well as chard and kale that can soon be picked. Even the broccoli is looking like it may grow up straight and tall!
The orange raspberries are ripening faster than the grandchildren can get over to eat them and the red ones have produced abundantly though only a hand full have been ripe enough to eat.
On my next day off it will be time for me to thin the beets and carrots. Soon I will be able to dig up the potatoes that came up early from seed left in the ground and our first crop of garlic will follow right behind.

Cooling trends

It is cool and raining softly today. All of the seedlings and transplants in my garden seem to be enjoying the change in temperature, even the two little broccoli plants that had part of their roots pulled away in the transplant effort. The last three days were pretty warm for springtime, getting  close to 90 degrees one day. It was not good gardening weather except in the early morning before the sun was too hot to feel inspired to work.
I am not complaining though. I was reading about the hot weather in India and the 1500 or more people who have died because of the heat. The normal temperature during May and June, India's hot months, is around 104 with some days reaching 113. This year temperatures have soared over that with average temperatures being two to five degrees above normal. When you start at 104 and add 2-5 it gets pretty hot pretty fast. I can't imagine trying to manage heat over 120 as some parts of the country endured.
The old, the poor, the day laborers: these are the ones who have had the most losses. Elders have a difficult time with heat regardless of circumstances. The poor cannot afford air conditioning and often have homes where there are no trees or water ways close by. The day laborers are compelled to work even in dangerous heat because they don't get paid if they don't work which means their families go without food and in some cases water too. I read about homeless people begging for money to buy water.
The heat wave will break with the monsoon but the cycle of heatwaves that are starting earlier and lasting longer with temperatures going a few degrees higher with each new wave is not going away anytime soon. Clearly people of vast areas of Earth who have learned to live with an amazing amount of heat tolerance cannot physically adapt fast enough to survive a few degrees of change. Yet most of the people who live in the hot areas of the world are not contributing to environmental degradation in ways that contribute to climate changes. The highest consumption of fossil fuels and factory farmed meat and dairy is by people with the most ability to make choices about such use.
The signs of wealth, conspicuous consumption, driving everywhere, temperature controlled environments, meat on the table daily along with out-of-season fruits and vegetables, these are not signs of intelligence when it comes to maintaining the perfect conditions for life on Earth which evolved over millions of years.
When I read stories about people dying from heatwaves, or in the winter dying from intense cold, I wonder why people who can make different choices, don't choose more wisely choices about living within the bounds of what nature has so generously provided. Those signs of wealth I named are advertised with every movie, magazine, poster or televised event, but the long term consequences of indulging are hidden. Profit and convenience cannot remain the bottom line if humanity is to thrive into the future. It is up to individuals and communities that have the time to become educated to become responsible advocates for the people who are most vulnerable. That means changing the way we live so that we can walk our talk.

None of this is easy.