creating change without shouting
Place is more than geographical territory. It is within us too. If we are not at home in ourselves, then everywhere has a sense of alienation. So perhaps at this time, we need to rest awhile and come home. To be rooted in our inner being for the days ahead. This is John O’Donohue’s blessing … Read more
‘Bright sadness’ is the term that Eastern Orthodox Christians use to describe the current season of Lent. This year, the phrase is incredibly evocative. And as I’ve been pondering on this place’s calling, I cannot divorce it from what is happening in Ukraine. Because places, while distinct, are connected. My place, here in the valley, … Read more
I’m still wrestling with what it means to be here at this time: Hearing again the deep call of place. So I’m still here. Listening. And I’m grateful for a beautiful gift from Alistair Kelly, which helps tune our attention. River haiku Being from becoming,Emerges and fades,And becomes again. + Alistair Kelly
it is a serious thing just to be aliveon this fresh morningin the broken world + Mary Oliver, from Invitation, in A Thousand Mornings I am feeling the tug of place again. To understand what it means to be here, now, and fulfil that calling. So I go back to Thomas Merton’s words: Humans have … Read more
All living beings are intrinsically connected to their environment, from the largest tree to the smallest amoeba (or virus…). They only thrive if they are in the right conditions. And even then, how they thrive and the exact form they take is context-specific. Winemakers talk about the terroir. The distinctive soil, topography and climate that … Read more
None of us chose the time or place of our birth. And even if we arrived a little earlier or later than expected, this was only marginal. Yet, being here, now, in this place and time shapes us as we, in turn, influence the world around us. Even though we may feel like a citizen … Read more