Soul of Nonviolence - Listen
“Our own pulse beats in every stranger’s throat.
And also there within the flowered ground beneath our feet.
And—teach us to listen . . .
We can hear it in winter, in wood, and even in stone.
We are earth of this earth, and we are bone of this bone.
This is a prayer I sing, for we have forgotten this and so
The earth is perishing.”
As we head into summer, Veronica shares a beautiful quote from Barbara Deming about the urgency of rediscovering our connection to the earth. Together we dive into some of the questions explored in last month’s Summer Solstice retreat: What does the earth have to teach us? How can we be more present to the lessons of nature? What does it look like to be in connection with the earth?
In our individualistic society, we can sometimes struggle to create community amongst ourselves, and Veronica highlights how it can be even more challenging to be in community with this planet. But she has a suggestion for where to start: be silent and listen. Practice turning down the volume on your inner monologue and truly hear other people and the environment around you—trees, birds, ants, and all the creatures we coexist with have lessons to share. By listening, we have the chance to learn what it is others need, and how we can live peacefully together, even with the wasps and others we might fear.