Roots


I was having a crazy dream last night.
I was a warrior, standing on the top of a mountain.
I remember soaking in the vast expanse that lay before me.
I saw the Industrial Growth Society in her full expression.

We had built this tremendous system without factoring in how it affected our life support system, this living earth.
I saw our flaw.
Our fundamental mistake.
I saw our separation from the natural world and the great fragmentation that threatened the life giving capacities of the earth.
And I saw humanity, continuing blindly on their way.

The next moment I awoke, and you were standing before me.
Looking me right in the eyes, I was surprised.
Afraid.

And you asked me... "tell me about the great turning..."

As a shiver moved slowly up my spine i began to answer.
"I dont know about such things." I said.

I mean sure, people talk about a fundamental shift of our time.
about some large scale shift... but...

But words started to come... so I spoke.

The great turning?

Well,
The answer is both simple
and complex.

We turned.

For years we walked along, and we saw the homeless people in the streets. We heard about the trees falling faster and faster every day, we knew about the oceans that were dying.
For years we knew about the abusive father,
the drunken beatings...
the mother left in tears.

For years we knew about all of these things, and we did what we knew to do.
We did what we learned,
in actions far louder then words...

We turned away.
We turned away from the pain in each others eyes
We turned away from the knowledge of what our money was feeding.
We turned away.

We turned away until there was no place left to turn
There was no place to look that did not remind us of our sadness.
of our pain.
of our anger and despair.

And we became a blind civilization headed for our own destruction.

But then, one day... something happened.
Somebody turned.

Turned to face the forests falling,
Turned to face the millions of people displaced in india from their flooded homes so that we could send water to a couple of new hotels.

And they cried.
And then somebody else turned.

turned to face the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer
turned to face the oil wars that stationed troops overseas and gave birth to prostitution rings
turned to face the women kept in captivity for the whole of thier lives

and someone else turned. And they took up each others hands. and they looked into each other eyes. they felt each others pain and through that, their own.

they took up each others hands
and they wept
and they screamed out into the expanse that lay before them

and they built a fire
and they sat with it as it reminded them of their nature
as it burned brightly and changed form before them

and then, whole groups of people were turning
people of all races, from all nations, of all cultures
they took up each others hands and sang songs together

And that was 200 years ago today
And now I look out into the world
I see the oceans thriving and teeming with life
I see clean air, and I grow veggies in the clean soil

We gather in our town centers and sing those same songs
Ancestor, I am so honored to be sitting before you now
You, who were alive in that time
You, who experienced life then


And as i stand here before you, I wonder
It was you who we tell stories about today
I wonder
What was it like to be alive then?
In the turning of life on this earth... what was it like?

What part of this great change did you play?
What was your first step?

Teach me ancestor, I will go and tell my tribe
Teach me...

Jonathan Haber ~ adapted from Christine Fry's poem "the great turning" written (Oct 19, 2004)

~~~~~

If our social system is failing, it may be related to the foundation it was built upon. Our society was built on the assumptions of the scientific revolution. During the scientific revolution, emphasis for understanding was given to individual parts and their properties, while the relationships between various parts was not emphasized. How we relate to the natural world was not factored in, and as Joanna Macy puts it, the earth became both the supply house and the sewer to the machines of production.

If we are in the midst of the great turning, we might know this by identifying its parts, and how they relate to each other.

And if we will need to turn and face our shadow, be it on the individual or the collective level, then the wisdom of our ancestors may become relevant to us very quickly.

If facing our shadow is going to involve opening ourselves more fully then we do on a daily basis, then the strength of the container is going to be very relevant.
If there is a portion of the movement for sustainability that is dedicated to opposition of "the other" - be it in any form, then the movement may be inherently self-defeating. A fundamental aspect of the great turning seems to be the enhanced awareness that comes from experiencing different states of consciousness and integrating them through whatever means we choose.
As we stand on sacred grounds for transformative learning, there is space to bring awareness to our own lens. As we question our lens and look through that of others, we gain access to perspectives that become more and more clear, and as we turn to face our shadow, we realize that the "line between good and evil runs through the landscape of every human heart. (shambhala prophecy Joannamacy.net)
Coming from this awareness in our work towards sustainability, we are able to drop the opposition that our ego needs in order to run the show, we find that in activism we are less prone to burnout - and that we actually experience more of a sense of our interconnection on a daily basis.

The divide between that which we oppose in others is bridged, and we find judgements falling away, more acceptance, more understanding, more openness.

The self - isolating way of relating to others falls away to a new sense of appreciation for our diversity, the foundations for community are built, and collaboration becomes easier.

If we are indeed facing the end of our oil based society; then it becomes essential that we gather as community and begin to support each other in both our personal and interpersonal evolution. It becomes essential that we develop the ability to collaborate and lead, to honor diversity, and to step into new frames of awareness that are inclusive, understanding, and conducive to reconciliation.

The Purpose of the Sustainable Living Tour is to call this forth.

We begin here.

Gatherings...