Last November I heard Hopi elder Vernon Masayesva speak about his work protecting water. I was struck by how he described his work as a response to the question “who am I am as a Hopi?” His repetition of the question helped me hear that he wasn’t asking a self-absorbed Read more…
The Mississippi is very high right now and that’s how my life feels to me too. I can barely keep up with all the painful disasters both “natural” and “human-made.” When I get overwhelmed it helps me to go to the rushing waters and be brought back into the flow. Read more…
Water is making the headlines big time right now. Catastrophic storms. Severe droughts. Water is giving fearsome expression to the changes in our climate. Climate can be such a vague notion. But water is tangible. Water is my way of staying focused in the complicated work of reversing climate change Read more…
I have just returned from a deep dive into the woods. During my retreat we opened up big questions about how we participate in the universe’s unfolding story. This work shakes up our entire worldview – in a good way! I love the big picture. But at the end of Read more…
Without understanding it, I have always longed for a sense of the Motherland. Sort of like longing for Eden. Nature is where I go to remember who I am. Yet because my family has moved enough over the last century, I couldn’t be sure where my geographic Motherland is anymore. Read more…
“We are careening towards oneness.” Recently I heard theologian Cynthia Bourgeault use these words to describe the state of our world. I immediately resonated with the sense of careening. Police are attacking peaceful protesters. Routine traffic stops end in fatalities. Hurricanes devastate coastal communities. Political discourse has lost much of Read more…
For the past few weeks my heart has been powerfully stirred by the indigenous-led effort to protect the water, our shared water, from the Dakota Access Pipeline. The people at Standing Rock who are blocking the construction of an oil pipeline under the Cannonball River (before crossing many other rivers) Read more…
This past weekend I participated in the Minnehaha Creek Water Walk, a prayer walk that traveled the 22 miles from Lake Minnetonka to the Mississippi River. Sharon Day, an Ojibwe elder, led this ceremony. Before you think about being impressed by my long distance walking skills, I should tell you Read more…
My heart is still full from singing practice at Hidden Falls Park, with the gorgeous Mississippi River and bald eagles calling out in what felt like a response to our song. It was special because my life also requires that I spend a lot of time at my desk and Read more…
Oh, the allure of checking Facebook (or email or your phone)! I catch myself hoping I’ll discover something really wonderful. Something that will make me laugh or sigh with beauty. Maybe some photos of my far-flung friends and family. I log in, expectant, ready for Facebook to make things right. Read more…