Dear Friends,
I’m wearing my Amplify Hope t-shirt today trying to hold onto hope amidst my fears for the future.
Blessing When the World is Ending by Jan Richardson
Look, the world
is always ending
somewhere.
Somewhere
the sun has come
crashing down.
Somewhere
it has gone
completely dark.
Somewhere
it has ended
with the gun,
the knife,
the fist.
Somewhere
it has ended
with the slammed door,
the shattered hope.
Somewhere
it has ended
with the utter quiet
that follows the news
from the phone,
the television,
the hospital room.
Somewhere
it has ended
with a tenderness
that will break
your heart.
But, listen,
this blessing means
to be anything
but morose.
It has not come
to cause despair.
It is simply here
because there is nothing
a blessing
is better suited for
than an ending,
nothing that cries out more
for a blessing
than when a world
is falling apart.
This blessing
will not fix you,
will not mend you,
will not give you
false comfort;
it will not talk to you
about one door opening
when another one closes.
It will simply
sit itself beside you
among the shards
and gently turn your face
toward the direction
from which the light
will come,
gathering itself
about you
as the world begins
again.
May we keep vigil for each other and the world…no matter what.
Here’s my blog with beautiful reflections on keeping vigil by my friends, Riva and Rae: Blog link
What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson
“Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data, poetry, and art, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.
With grace, humor, and humanity, Johnson invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question together: "What if we get it right?”
The Fistula Foundation provides life-changing surgery to women left incontinent by childbirth. In some countries women with fistula and severe perineal tears are treated as outcasts. Contributions go to helping as many of the estimated one million affected women get surgery to restore their health and hope for the future.
Immerse yourself in a few moments of nature...
Onward together,
Joy
Joy Zimmerman is a touring folk & acoustic roots singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, presenter, and former social worker. Joy's latest album,"Where the Light Lives," debuted at #6 on the Folk Alliance International Folk Chart Top Albums in August 2023. joyzimmermanmusic.com