kim phuc

cady and i went to my sister's church sunday morning, and the guest speaker was kim phuc. for over half an hour she spoke quietly yet passionately about her life. i cried at times. hers is a most harrowing story: physical pain from the burns which she still endures today; emotional pain from a family that at first loved her, but after she became a christian turned their backs on her; political pain from being used by the vietnamese government to speak about war; and spiritual pain of being isolated from a christian community for many years while in communist vietnam and later in cuba.

this story has a happy ending: she fell in love and married, and while on her honeymoon, defected to canada where she lives in ajax; she has reconciled with her family and they all live in canada now; she has met with and forgiven the american who ordered the napalm attck on her village; she is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and travels the world as a peace activist; and she has two boys, Stephen and Thomas.

inheritance

could we apply this proverb to stewardship of the earth?

"Good people leave an inheritance for their children's children"

Proverbs 13:22a

beauty, truth. truth, beauty

god is amazing.

i had the privilege of an hour's conversation last night with someone who believes that

• being,
• purpose,
• beauty,
• justice, and
• unity

are real and essential to human growth, and, as a statistician, is researching them, and, as a music therapist, observes these in action everyday.

during my lunch break, i ran into him, and he's re-considering beauty in the light of love and redemption. mathematically, mind you!

don't be overwhelmed

some days i feel i'm not doing enough, that i'm not committed wholly/holy to serving god in all that i do. like my namesake, simon peter who simply dropped his nets and followed jesus, i am at times impetuous. i wanna do it all, and do it now. i know the icecaps are melting, i know people are suffering, i know i could do more if i weren't writing software much of my day. jesus counsels:

"This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."

The Message, Matthew 10:42

in context of the whole chapter, Matthew 10

personal update

the world is always changing, but there's a feeling we're on the cusp of even greater change, eh?

and, like many of my friends (i am discovering), i feel personally on the cusp of great personal change. the two changes - global and personal -- are tied together, and cultural consciousness is raising, ahead of the floodwaters.

how do i be the change i want to see in the world?

or better: what am i, truly, in the service of god and god's creation?

that's my challenge.

very important: New Strategies to Confront Climate Change by Andrew Heintzman

this 4-page essay gives 4 realistic and achievable strategies for solving the climate crisis.

it's the most encouraging news i've read in a long time.

New Strategies to Confront Climate Change by Andrew Heintzman (Note: this is a PDF)

New Sustainable Seafood Campaign Launched

Some of Canada’s top chefs and leading marine scientists joined the David Suzuki Foundation, Living Oceans Society, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Committee, Sierra Club of Canada (BC Chapter) and Ecology Action Network in Halifax to launch a new sustainable seafood campaign, called SeaChoice, a comprehensive, made-in-Canada program that ranks the sustainability of various types of seafood. Most importantly, SeaChoice provides the science-based information and aims to better inform Canadian consumers, fishermen, chefs and businesses so they can make informed sustainable seafood choices and help keep oceans healthy.

From www.seachoice.org:

"The movement towards sustainable seafood is about solutions for our oceans. Choosing sustainable seafood is a simple and effective action that you can take every time you eat at a restaurant or buy seafood. Whether you are an individual shopping for your family, a chef buying for your restaurant, or a supplier sourcing from fishing communities, your choices count. Voting with your wallet sends a strong signal to government and industry leaders, telling them that you support responsible stewardship of our natural marine resources.

"We understand that choosing sustainable seafood can be challenging, that’s why SeaChoice has created easy-to-use products that help you identify the best seafood choices and find information about the fisheries that you support with your purchasing. This is the first time that information has been compiled for Canadians about our domestic fisheries and the seafood we import. Please take a look at Canada’s Seafood Guide and our searchable seafood database at right.

"The ultimate solutions will require all of us--governments, industry, retailers and individuals--to take responsibility for changing our approach to seafood and fishing. We hope you will choose to be part of the solution."

So, what's for dinner tonight?

qana

Patti Smith has recorded a new song: "Qana":
[band version] [solo version]

There's no one
in the village
not a human
nor a stone
there's no one
in the village
children are gone
and a mother rocks
herself to sleep
let it come down
let her weep

the dead lay in strange shapes

Some stay buried
others crawl free
baby didn't make it
screaming debris
and a mother rocks
herself to sleep
let it come down
let her weep

the dead lay in strange shapes

Limp little dolls
caked in mud
small, small hands
found in the road
their talking about
war aims
what a phrase
bombs that fall
American made
the new Middle East
the Rice woman squeaks

the dead lay in strange shapes

little bodies
little bodies
tied head and feet
wrapped in plastic
laid out in the street
the new Middle East
the Rice woman squeaks

the dead lay in strange shapes

Water to wine
wine to blood
ahh Qana
the miracle
is love

patti smith

QANA

The Israeli practice of collective punishment is a war crime under the Geneva Convention. Why are they allowed to do this? Because they have our permission?

We send over four billion dollars in aid and weapons to Israel every year. We are paying for this devastation. The slaughter of children. The country in ruins.We are paying for this. George Bush willfully rejected a truce and now we have the Qana massacre on our head. Thirty seven of the dead were children.

Qana is considered by some as the location of the first miracle of Christ. Turning water into wine. There is no wine flowing in Qana today. Only blood. Only blood.

patti smith

voluntary simplicity

"Voluntary simplicity is easier to promote when it is clear that it offers abundant opportunities for growth. Life-based pursuits, or the '3 L's' -- Learning, Love and Laughter -- as they are referred to for our sound bite world, offer boundless frontiers. The development of skills, scholarship, art, music, sport, dance, friendship, spiritual aspiration, parenting and service were the essence of human culture before the commercial era pressed acquisition to its current place of prominence. The saturation of landfill space, problems with pollution and painful experiences with finite natural resources bid us re-consider the emphasis we place on the pursuit of our human birthright.

from "Life-Based Purpose: A Key to Sustainability" by Howard Jerome

frugal living

"Everyone has the right to decide how they want to live and spend their money according to their own values, but those who want to practice the art of gentle living will consider others in addition to one's own happiness. Some may find that they prefer to have more time for pursuing transpersonal values or social reform rather than working long hours for more pay or indulging in personal pleasures. By living frugally one may have everything one needs without high costs so that one has time, energy, and other resources for higher ideals. The limited resources of the world have to be shared, and some believe that by living simply they can help others to simply live. Giving to charity to help the less fortunate is one way to do this, but one can also give of one's time, talents, and energy to work for the betterment of all humanity. Jesus presented this challenge when he advised a rich man to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. If the very poor are assisted in intelligent ways, the improvements made in their lives from the sharing of the resources can be quite efficient. Even the smallest contribution helps when it is given to those most in need.

"We each make decisions every day about what resources we use and how. Those who voluntarily simplify their lifestyles by reducing their use of polluting methods of transportation or the purchasing of extra material things they do not need are consciously producing less waste, which eventually needs to be cleaned up. Many people are finding that they can work at home, or one may live closer to one's place of employment and avoid spending time, money, and energy in long commutes. As the fossil fuel supplies diminish, the costs of transportation will increase. Urban areas are becoming more crowded and polluted. Those who walk and bicycle are saving these energies and the environment. Using public transportation or car-pooling helps. By spending time with one's family and friends at home and by associating with neighbors and local groups, people help ease the traffic and pollution problems while having more time for their activities. In today's global society we can communicate instantaneously with people anywhere in the world by the Internet and satellite at low cost in money and energy.

"By choosing to live with others in community, housing can be shared more so that it is not so expensive. The opposite extreme is the very rich who own several homes and travel around. I wonder if any of those places really feels like a home, and how inconvenient it must be not having everything you need and want in the same place! Such luxuries are obviously inefficient and wasteful of many resources. Recycling of resources is very important in order to conserve energy and materials. If those with extra clothes donate more of them to the second-hand stores, those with less income will have even better choices in the thrift stores. If people purchase appliances and other products for their durability and efficiency and have them repaired instead of buying new ones, then even what needs to be recycled will be reduced. Some are "returning to the land" to grow their own food and form communities that are more self-sufficient. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the healthiest food and do not require wasteful packaging. We can buy fresh produce that comes from local growers and so reduce transportation costs. Even the scraps can be composted to fertilize a garden. Try to avoid discarding disposable containers by using canvas or cloth bags for shopping and by washing dishes. First, re-use what you can; second, re-cycle materials; and third, reduce needless consumption so that you throw away as little as possible. Remember we are all on this Earth, and there is ultimately no "away" for throwing things.

"We can also keep our minds clear of much useless information by avoiding commercials and advertising that are intended to manipulate people into buying things. One can tune in on non-commercial media such as Pacifica radio, C-SPAN television, public radio or television, local access stations, or other non-commercial cable stations. Remote controls make it easier to mute the sound of any advertisement, or one can change channels. The world wide web can be used to find much information without having to buy newspapers and magazines that are loaded with ads and waste paper. Avoid websites that throw ads at you and find those that are user-friendly. Most books can be purchased used, and especially classics and other popular books are easily available in inexpensive editions. Public libraries provide outstanding books and other resources for free. Today people have easier access to the finest literature and educational materials than at any time in history. Especially because of the Internet, knowledge is spreading quickly and becoming more accessible every day. Soon one will be able to find just about any book or film or music or art on-line. Our opportunities for learning, communicating, creating, and participating in social reforms are greater than ever if we can learn how to manage our time by living more simply with the physical things.

Sanderson Beck

is god green?

god is amazing.

i missed seeing elizaberth may, leader of the national green party, speak in orillia tonight. but she was on tvo's The Agenda and you can watch this video clip of "Elizabeth May | Climate Change Conundrum" . may's environmentalism is scripture-based (she once considered becoming an anglican priest).

however, i did watch "Is God Green?" on Moyers on America on pbs. amazingly, the evangelical christian right in america, which helped put reagan and george w. bush in the oval office, is now finding a biblical basis for environmentalism and is beginning to vociferously oppose corporations harming the environment and politicians weakening environmental protection, while making concerted efforts to recycle and reduce and re-use in their communities, and plant more trees!.

you can/should/must watch the whole show online: "Is God Green?"

p.s.
it's kind of cool to watch a church service in boise idaho with a praise team and congregation and setting that looks kind of like my sister's church in niagara, ontario, singing songs sung there, and here at our church here in midland, ontario.

for the record, i'm one of those tree-hugging lefties that has come to christ, just as the evangelicals in this documentary are those bible-thumping christians that have come to care for god's creation. our politics still differ in many ways, but we have common ground in jesus, and god's word, and love for the creator and the creator's creation, and the purpose of that creation, which is to be a community to worship god in all our voices: human, lark, pine needle, fire, thunder, falling petal, the whole merry dance of neutrinos and gracefullness of gravity.

more amazingly, it was a secular friend who said to me, 'i don't know why. i never look at the pbs guide, but tonight i did, and i saw this show listed and thought you might like to watch it.' we watched it together.

thin spaces and a great lake of beer for the king of kings

another sunday at st. george's, my mother's church. thanksgiving sunday with a celtic communion. the sermon was given by rt. revd. bishop asbil (retired), former rector of st. george's and now bishop-in-residence. i went to high school with his sons, one of whom is now a priest.

bishop asbil spoke of the celtic christian sensibility. i remarked two aspects of the christian celt:

1. thin spaces where this world and the next are not so far apart
2. a commission to heal this planet

i found three prayers by famous celtic saints:

I arise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
I arise today,
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me.
From the snares of devils, from temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and near, alone and in a multitude
St. Patrick


My Druid is Christ, the son of God,
Christ, Son of Mary, the Great Abbot,
The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
St. Columba


I would like to have the men of Heaven in my own house:
With vats of good cheer laid out for them.
I would like to have the three Marys, their fame is so great.
I would like people from every corner of Heaven.
I would like them to be cheerful in their drinking,
I would like to have Jesus too here amongst them.
I would like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings,
I would like to be watching Heaven's family, drinking it through all eternity.
attributed to St. Brigid

source: http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/christ.html

St. Francis of Assisi: Fratello sole, sorella luna

tomorrow marks the anniversary of the death of this most beloved saint, and wednesday is his feast day.

he is the patron saint of of animals, merchants, Italy, Catholic action, and the environment. how's that for a mixed bag?

his poem, "the canticle of the creatures," was the first poem written in italian

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong;
no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,
especially for Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
of You Most High, he bears your likeness.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

We praise You, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,
fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.

We praise You, Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night.
He is beautiful, playful, robust, and strong.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Earth,
who sustains us
with her fruits, colored flowers, and herbs.

We praise You, Lord, for those who pardon,
for love of You bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
by You Most High, they will be crowned.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in their sins!
Blessed are those that She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

We praise and bless You, Lord, and give You thanks,
and serve You in all humility.

(Text is in the Public Domain. Source: http://prayerfoundation.org/canticle_of_brother_sun.htm)

two bios:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi


two reviews of one my favourite movies, Brother Sun, Sister Moon:
http://www.popmatters.com/film/reviews/b/brother-sun-sister-moon.shtml
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069824/

back to the garden - carbon and humus

permaculture is about discovering nature/god's patterns and implementing them in our agriculture, and indeed our culture as a whole. if life has a number, it's the number six: carbon.

carbon exists in many forms. of course, it is concentrated in fossil fuels, the burning of which puts carbon into the air as greenhouse gases.

but carbon is also found in living things. the burning of forests and the erosion of living soil, or humus, also puts carbon into the air.

david holmgren, in Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability, writes that a "valuable storage of carbon is created when we simply allow plant material to rot back into the soil. Organic matter, especially carbon-rich bulky plant materials, is the fuel for soil micro-organisms, which in turn are the key to the cycling and availability of plant nutrients." p. 36.

"Changing the management of farmland to use organic and permaculture strategies and techniques can rebuild this storage of carbon... It is arguably the greatest single contribution we can make to ensure the future survival of humanity." p. 37.

"Alan Yeoman ... has arguewd that loss of humus from agricultural soils is as large a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as motor cars, and that achievable increases in humus across the world's farming soils could reabsorb the whole of the damaging imbalance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere." p. 39

to be continued...

sustainable differences

in an open journal post, i mentioned that even within the local community there are divergent views which cause paralysis. take 'sustainability' fer instance. in my girlfriend's group, some members believe that we cannot sustain our culture at the current energy levels and we must prepare for a low-energy future. others in the group believe we'll find a technological solution that will enable us to continue our high-energy lifestyle with some degree of sustainable adaptation .

high-energy or low, even the notion of sustainability is uncertain. david holmgren writes, in Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability (p. xxx):

The lack of any reasonable definition of sustainability has left it open to inevitable appropriation by the corporate spin doctors. But even the most genuine and useful sustainability concepts including permaculture contain an ambiguity about sustainability as a state or a process. Once we accept the reality and magnitude of energy descent, we begin to ask what "sustainability", "sustainable systems" or "sustainable system design" might mean. Even the idea of permanence at the heart of permaculture is problematic to say the least.

...In articulating Permaculture as the Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, I am suggesting that we need to get over our naive and simplistic notions of sustainability as a likely reality for ourselves or even our grandchildren and instead accept that our task is use our familiarity with continuous change to adapt to energy descent.

[emphasis is in the original]

"We are a throw-away society and that is a measure of our poor stewardship of our wealth."

Ain't that the truth.

The greater truth is that we each possess an infinite capacity to change and the ability to choose change for the better.

Day 5's post has a lot of great ideas.
Day 5: Abandon disposables
from Thirty Days Towards Sustainability

"Bruce Cockburn: Telling the Truth About the Human Condition"

E Magazine interview:

"Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn's 29th album, Life Short Call Now (Rounder) is being released this month and it continues to showcase his unique position as a sometimes-angry analyst of the world scene...

"Cockburn, a devout Christian, is a regular reader of E Magazine and a passionate advocate for environmental causes. His songs take on such challenging topics as the International Monetary Fund's lending practice and the damage caused by land mines. This interview with him took place in New York City, near the beginning of a U.S. tour that continues through September 17."


read more from Bruce Cockburn: Telling the Truth About the Human Condition. ... the last paragraph is perhaps the best part.

30 Days Towards Sustainability

A new series highlighting practical actions people can do to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

last night of beta

the final topic was about generosity, specifically monetary generosity. i enjoyed the nicky gumble talk vey much, and the discussion afterwards, too. our small group was even smaller tonight: six, including the two leaders. the discussion was as much about acquisitiveness as it was about generosity, and it ranged from personal experiences to global concerns, to which last night's film, an inconvenient truth, was influential.

what next? many ideas were cast about, but nothing firm because, as k pointed out, september schedules have to settle into place before we can decide; also, its a diverse group and the members will probably seek individual paths.

sustainable lifestyles symposium - day 6

it ended as it began: me, susan, jay, and alta working in the kitchen in the afternoon; this time cleaning and packing up. occasionally i'd run out to the parking area to say goodbye to someone. in the morning we gathered a final time to wrap-up, which at times was very emotional.

so much hope for transformation: in our personal lives, in our communities, in our planet.

i have pages of notes to sift through. in the coming weeks and months i hope to have the time and energy to post and share and to gather your thoughts and feelings.