A couple months ago, while Hillary and Bernie were still duking it out in the presidential primaries, I was having coffee with a friend. My friend -- let's call him Jason -- was serving as the head of the local Sanders campaign in my liberal-ish town in rural Virginia. Since I serve on the local city council, my friend wanted me to speak at a rally he was planning in town in … [Read more...]
Faith communities, foodsheds and the future
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. -- Joel 2:26 We are the transformers of Earth. Our whole being, and the flights and falls of our love, enable us to undertake this task. -- Rainer Maria Rilke For the past six years I have been writing profusely about the challenges the earth community is … [Read more...]
The real war on Christmas and why it matters
Christmas season is making me tired. Every year, I get tired of hearing jaunty, NutriSweet-y jingles that sound like they're sung by Hello Kitty touted as "Chrismas Carols" and played earlier and earlier in the fall. "Here Comes Santa Claus" on November 11 — it's a revolting enough song if you have to hear it once. But do we really need to endure this particular brand of … [Read more...]
Letting go
We spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and treasure in imposing our will on nature … dreaming of permanent solutions, monuments to our ambitions and dreams. But in periods of slack, decline, or collapse, our abilities no longer suffice for all this management. We have to let things go. – Ernest Callenbach This summer, I'm on an odyssey to five unique intentional … [Read more...]
Love and money; Why Chrisitianity is incompatible with capitalism
Christianity today is an immensely complex and varied institution. As a religion it self-asserts. But in the hands of anyone, it is plied to less predictable ends. Now, throughout its history, organized Christianity has been ambiguous, to say the least. It's been wielded as a sword in the hands of empires; used to legitimize wars, genocide, and a murderous exploitation of … [Read more...]