Navigating divides in my community. I sit outside a coffee shop reading the LA Times. It is the 30th Anniversary of the LA Riots when police were acquitted after the brutal beating of Rodney King. My 13-year-old eyes digested that story in a context without guidance on the system at play. Where I live now, we will soon… Continue reading Divides.
Sadly, the word that comes to mind when I think about my historic relationship with creation is WASTE. Both literal waste, as in garbage, but also the general waste inherent in a consumerist culture. The culture I was raised in and have embraced for most of my life is built on so much excess, which… Continue reading Look to the birds
I grew up in Saint Paul, MN in an area close by the Mississippi River. When I was younger we would walk down to an area we called our “secret spot”. It was an overlook where you could see a bridge, a church and Fort Snelling. Throughout my grade school education, I would go to… Continue reading Not on or for, but with.
For much of my life, I based the value of creation on what it had to offer me. I saw it as something to be used at my disposal and discarded at my whim. Beautiful flowers on my table, a day at the beach, skiing down the snowy slopes of a mountain – if I… Continue reading God Saw That It Was Good
I fell in love with nature at an early age, as I played on the rocky shoreline and swam in the fresh waters of Lake Huron. As an adult, the words of the New Creed of the United Church of Canada, calling us to “live with respect in Creation” became a guiding light as my… Continue reading Going deeper
Entitled. I was given a very entitled relationship with creation. I was taught that God made creation so that we could enjoy it, and therefore it is my privilege to do the things I like to do without concern about the affect. This is how I was raised. Two memories that come to mind include… Continue reading WwALL-E.
Envisioning a sacred relationship with creation, the first word that comes to mind is “balance.” I’ve sometimes struggled with why God created animals and humans to need to kill other living things (whether plants or other animals) to survive. Similarly, human technology of life-saving medical care, transportation, and internet have allowed humans to learn from… Continue reading Reflecting on Near-death and Life
During my undergrad education, I studied abroad in Israel-Palestine. A couple years later, I returned to live and work there for a year. I was working with an organization in Jerusalem which created space for Israelis and Palestinians to learn about reconciliation and form friendships with the person from the “other side.” While there were… Continue reading “who is your reconciliation work really for?”
Describe who or what has most shaped your understanding of reconciliation. White. Male. Christian. If I’m totally honest about this question, I have to start here. As I think about reconciliation and what has shaped and formed what I know in my mind and somewhat in my body, the largest and loudest voice(s) are those of… Continue reading Homogenous might work for milk but not for faith
I think the evangelical church has most shaped the concept of reconciliation for me. I’m sure that as a life-long church attender I’ve heard this term many times. As I reflect on the concept, I feel that the word ‘forgiveness’ took a primary place for any interpersonal disagreement. Memories surface of phrases like, “Forgive others… Continue reading Changed Behavior
