I am reminded of some Paiute elders talking about the destruction of their land in Nevada by new lithium mining. They talk about the generations prior that died from the mercury mine in the same area. They talk about the big new roads destorying their relative -the desert grouse's habitat, they talk about the waters being poisoned. "We don't like it", "we don't want it", "we don't want more death".
Their words sound simplistic in the face of such high tech and global demands. Yet, the simplicity is an arrow to the heart. It is not complicated. We make it so. And we agree to the destruction as we type on our computers, and drive our supposed green electric cars. O the hypocrisy of living in these times. My question is how to live this hypocritical life and still feel right with the world.
I plant the simple seeds , the words of the Paiute grandmothers, "we don't want more death" in my heart and hope they sprout with the light of my consciousness and water of my tears into actions that will heal, that will sustain life.
My ancestor, my great grandfather passed down his rifle, along with a directive, " future generations, hang this above your door with a note saying this is a symbol of freedom". (He fought to make Kansas and anti-slavery state.) I think about what freedom means now.
May we all be free to live in peace and in a clean and healthy world.
I am so grateful to be aligned with Paiute elders saying “We don’t want more death.” Simple, maybe, but powerful and absolutely essential to be spoken and then somehow lived. This makes me weep and I am glad to weep for the heartbreak. Thank you Lauren. I somehow believe we will find the way.
The whole earth is our backyard. So the sensibility that is derided as ‘NIMBY’ is actually the path toward healing. When we all protect our backyards the earth will be safe from depredation.
A story in my wisdom tradition says that Noah made olive oil from the olive branch that the dove had retrieved, post-Flood. A vial of this same oil was passed down to Jacob, who re•crossed a river to preserve it. This, it's said (by our ancestral commentators) is the very same container of pure, untainted oil that was found by the Maccabees, when it came time to re•dedicate the Temple in Jerusalem. From the Flood to Hanukkah, were our ancestors looking out for us? The light from this oil still burns today, an eternal flame, to illuminate our path forward. May peace be with us, in our time.
I am reminded of some Paiute elders talking about the destruction of their land in Nevada by new lithium mining. They talk about the generations prior that died from the mercury mine in the same area. They talk about the big new roads destorying their relative -the desert grouse's habitat, they talk about the waters being poisoned. "We don't like it", "we don't want it", "we don't want more death".
Their words sound simplistic in the face of such high tech and global demands. Yet, the simplicity is an arrow to the heart. It is not complicated. We make it so. And we agree to the destruction as we type on our computers, and drive our supposed green electric cars. O the hypocrisy of living in these times. My question is how to live this hypocritical life and still feel right with the world.
I plant the simple seeds , the words of the Paiute grandmothers, "we don't want more death" in my heart and hope they sprout with the light of my consciousness and water of my tears into actions that will heal, that will sustain life.
My ancestor, my great grandfather passed down his rifle, along with a directive, " future generations, hang this above your door with a note saying this is a symbol of freedom". (He fought to make Kansas and anti-slavery state.) I think about what freedom means now.
May we all be free to live in peace and in a clean and healthy world.
I am so grateful to be aligned with Paiute elders saying “We don’t want more death.” Simple, maybe, but powerful and absolutely essential to be spoken and then somehow lived. This makes me weep and I am glad to weep for the heartbreak. Thank you Lauren. I somehow believe we will find the way.
The whole earth is our backyard. So the sensibility that is derided as ‘NIMBY’ is actually the path toward healing. When we all protect our backyards the earth will be safe from depredation.
A story in my wisdom tradition says that Noah made olive oil from the olive branch that the dove had retrieved, post-Flood. A vial of this same oil was passed down to Jacob, who re•crossed a river to preserve it. This, it's said (by our ancestral commentators) is the very same container of pure, untainted oil that was found by the Maccabees, when it came time to re•dedicate the Temple in Jerusalem. From the Flood to Hanukkah, were our ancestors looking out for us? The light from this oil still burns today, an eternal flame, to illuminate our path forward. May peace be with us, in our time.