Thank you Adam, this act of giving voice to our complicity in the everyday commonplace acts of violence that we have inherited as a culture is so necessary and important. I find myself frequently lapsing into this devil's accord with the insanity and brutality of our time. It is so easy to justify when the whole culture encourages and celebrates it. Everything in our present culture feels calibrated to tell me that everything's ok, it's alright to continue with my complicity in the violence because everyone else is doing it, I'm doing the best I can, and all other sorts of ridiculous platitudes designed to release me from actual responsibility to all of life. Your words continue to give me courage to turn repeatedly in the opposite direction, in service to life.
I am grateful for the simple turn of phrase in Chris' post---freedom from responsibility. I didn't draw this connection explicitly above, but it was there in the weave: when we stop fleeing from our consequence we have the opportunity to become responders, people able to respond, response-able. I think of it as a sort of becoming 3-dimensional again--suddenly seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting the space we take up in our living. It isn't easy to describe, but I imagine often how this must have been the lived reality of place-based people, of most people until fairly recently.
Gorgeous, Sally. We are loaded down with belongings--or possessions--but terrified to allow ourselves to be claimed--to become a belonging of the more-than-human collective of place. I can attest to the tragedy of this situation.
Thanks for this, Jack. I don't recommend 70 hour weeks to others, but that's simply how I was born into the world. If the world was full of people like me it wouldn't be good. There's some Puritanical wound in it, I would guess. A deep-running unworthiness finding outward expression in high productivity. Martin Prechtel refers to European Americans as "highly efficient refugees." That is a remarkably perceptive description, if you as me.
Thank you Adam, this act of giving voice to our complicity in the everyday commonplace acts of violence that we have inherited as a culture is so necessary and important. I find myself frequently lapsing into this devil's accord with the insanity and brutality of our time. It is so easy to justify when the whole culture encourages and celebrates it. Everything in our present culture feels calibrated to tell me that everything's ok, it's alright to continue with my complicity in the violence because everyone else is doing it, I'm doing the best I can, and all other sorts of ridiculous platitudes designed to release me from actual responsibility to all of life. Your words continue to give me courage to turn repeatedly in the opposite direction, in service to life.
I am grateful for the simple turn of phrase in Chris' post---freedom from responsibility. I didn't draw this connection explicitly above, but it was there in the weave: when we stop fleeing from our consequence we have the opportunity to become responders, people able to respond, response-able. I think of it as a sort of becoming 3-dimensional again--suddenly seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting the space we take up in our living. It isn't easy to describe, but I imagine often how this must have been the lived reality of place-based people, of most people until fairly recently.
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
—Mother Teresa
Also if you get a chance, give a listen to Krista Tippet’s (On Being) recent interview with Coco Battle. Many neighborly riches there.
Thank you for this post Adam, calling us in, like the bunch of wandering goats we are.
And thank you for the On Being tip.
Gorgeous, Sally. We are loaded down with belongings--or possessions--but terrified to allow ourselves to be claimed--to become a belonging of the more-than-human collective of place. I can attest to the tragedy of this situation.
Recalibration. Thank you, Adam.
Great word, Taylor. Best to you.
Oh, this puts my longing and discomfort to words and positions much of my unusality in the realm of forgivable... maybe even admirable.
I no longer have 70 hour weeks in me, and even when I did, they were surely no good thing.
Thanks for this, Jack. I don't recommend 70 hour weeks to others, but that's simply how I was born into the world. If the world was full of people like me it wouldn't be good. There's some Puritanical wound in it, I would guess. A deep-running unworthiness finding outward expression in high productivity. Martin Prechtel refers to European Americans as "highly efficient refugees." That is a remarkably perceptive description, if you as me.
Very moving and true, thanks, Michael
Thank you, Michael.
Thank you for this! It resonates.