The Wolf of Peace and My Enlightenment

I was walking my dog in the neighborhood the other day, by a place that is very rundown and ugly looking really. My dog came from a shelter and she can be frightened and defensive with strange dogs who approach her. Well, we were across the street from this rundown place and out saunters an unleashed wolf/Malamute or something like that. Whatever the breed, this looked like a huge wolf-like dog to me. I calmly told the dog “no,” as he came across the street towards us. A man shortly came out after, who by judgment of the eyes looked thin, tall, and not up to general standards of fashion –or hygiene for that matter.

I was on guard, skeptical. I had already judged him as he walked towards me. But what I experienced in meeting him and his dog, was great presence, gentleness and peace. I was swiftly corrected as to who I was meeting. The man apologized with more grace and consideration and manners than anyone I have come across in a long time. And his dog too! His dog stood by mine with the same peace and presence. My dog would normally have gone nuts defending herself. She stood meeting this dog with no protest, this dog was healing for her!

He apologized to me with gentility, and I told him, how regardless of the initial fear my dog and I had, this encounter turned out to be healing for her. I was reminded quickly and beautifully that the Holy Spirit/Presence resides in each and though some may not own much, they own a tremendous peace and grandeur within them.

I later reflected, if that man was in the same room with a person with a more impressive role or class, who would we be drawn to, value more? Yet, I think of how this kind fellow and his dog were, definitely unassuming and humble, and, not having met them, I judged them. My eyes didn’t realize, couldn’t see through appearances, not until we were right next to one another, talking and being. Well, does it matter? What does that say about me or the values of our society/world? My own being was awakened to a mistake I was making, categorizing. Though my instincts are there to help with survival, they do not know everything. Instincts are good, but are not necessarily always plugged into a soul level knowing or wisdom.

From the world’s output, we may feel we need an honored position/role or to seek connection with only those with “honored positions” to have and feel worth. How deeply do appearances matter in comparison to an inner goodness, kindness and peace? Can we live with that kind of contradiction? Or will we feel a compulsive need then, to befriend this sort of fellow and “make him over” so his outside “matches” his insides?

Eckhart Tolle tells us that the grandeur, awe and prized silence of a mountaintop resides within us, as well as around us. It is the practice of observing that “peace that passes all understanding” within us and around us — at the supermarket, in traffic and in the grandeur of nature. I found it in an unlikely place, somewhere I would normally be repelled not welcomed. By an old poor man in a rundown place with a dog who looks like a wolf to me. I love wolves, but one walking briskly towards me is unnerving and not always desirable!

Thank God for those unlikely places that seek to awaken our hearts to an unconditional peace and goodness that breaks the barriers constructed by the judgments of our mind and eyes.

I found and realized that correction for myself in that moment. I stood corrected, and gladly so. Through this process I am learning to appreciate presence that goes beyond outward appearances and celebrity. Something I had kind of forgotten in my role as parent, actually. I am remembering the words to one of my favorite songs from church asking God to “bring me beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life” –to look beyond and through the ugliness and chaos of some situations, which may be an illusion of sorts, into the depth of silence, Sacred Presence that is simultaneously, within and without.

“Their purpose is to do everything in a sacred manner.” –Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth” page 307.

Many thanks of joy and peace to Eckhart Tolle, Oprah and classmates in the 10 week class “A New Earth” that ends tonight, it has been priceless and enlightening,

CSS moonseeds (sistr moon)

CD cover art: Fish

My husband is a musician and has come out with the last of a collective effort called Shick. I got to do the cover art this time.  The CD title is “Fashion Ramp”. Here is a pic of the final product:

Jeff’s band, King Everything, just got a new MySpace page, here is the link:

The King Everything

Share Earth Day Inside and Out

Everyday is of course Earth day, as has been said. Yet, this celebration is a good marker for us to center and re-center our passions, priorities, actions to honor and align with the abundance of goodness this planet continually shares and is. So, here are some pics from a tiny piece of the earth that we Sherins sometimes hide away upon. It is a sacred place for us.

Our family cabin was nurtured and thrives because of the care of my father in law, Ray. Now that he is passed on, we all carry on that tradition in our own way. His sons and wife spend a lot of time and care to preserve his heart’s work for the family and the earth. It is a place of refuge for nature herself, the birds and us. It is easy to celebrate all the abundant details of nature there, as in all of nature, really, but especially where golden heart strings are strung. The bird’s songs, the dragonflies, the waters, reeds, and the eden that Jeff’s father planted and shaped there lead us to a deeper presence. It is quite rustic (and rough at times) and helps me to really encounter the world in a more personal and still way than amidst our technological ‘world’.

This is the view from the cabin into the refuge and the Mississippi, with bluffs of Minnesota in the distance.

Here are the first flowers that have bloomed at the cabin this year.

This is one of my favorite rocks that shapes the garden at the cabin. It is better than art.

My husband Jeff loves to take a walk around the pines there. This is what it looks like this Spring. Doesn’t it look inviting and mysterious?

I hope that you can take time to celebrate places of the Earth that inspire and nourish you. There are so many I think of and adore. There are even the inner spaces of Earth to appreciate on this day, places within each of us, that hold images and mysterious places of beauty that connect deeply with this Earth and our souls.

Peace and joy to this Earth day and you,

CSS moonseeds

Earth Day Every Day

In honor of Earth day, which is coming up quickly, I am offering a new Green section on this site. These pages offer lots of great resources, opportunities for action and ideas to make positive change for our health and survival. Green Pages contains pages on “Recycle”, “Reuse and Reduce”, and “Beyond Recycling” (Navigate these pages listed to the right of this post, above or just click HERE to get started).

Coming soon, pages about “Water”, “Lifestyle stances” and “Action” as well.

What I am realizing, with the help of the “A New Earth” book, and class with Eckhart Tolle on Oprah.com, is that my emotional reactions to the dire needs and catastrophes on our planet do not change what is. Looking at what is I can respond to the best of my ability and that is all I can do.

Acceptance and responding to the present moment are the key, is what I am taking from this.  Therefore, I want to share the quality resources for positive change and awareness that I know of, and share what I care about. I also want to share the choices I make daily that are making a difference at the personal level and hopefully on other levels as well.

My focus is on facing plastic pollution issues (especially in light of the North Pacific Garbage Patch), choosing to live more simply and toxin free when possible, going beyond just recycling, looking for inspiration and hope, supporting just causes, and taking a stand of opposition to factory farms, water privatization, and other corporate and industrial actions that seek to treat life as object and commodity. I welcome your input and experiences as well. I am glad that we can be in this life together, sharing what matters and celebrating beauty and goodness.

Thanks,

with peace and joy,

Chan

CD Cover Art: Fish for Fashion Ramp

Here are two versions of a piece I just completed for a CD cover:

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mixed media, Fish for Fashion Ramp

“Truth Cannot Be Silenced” echoed through the city…

The 8th Day Center for Justice coordinated the 28th annual Good Friday Walk for Justice this past March 21st from noon to 3pm in downtown Chicago. Several FSPA sisters and affiliates drove in from La Crosse, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota, to join the walk for the first time, including me and my daughter.

The 8th Day Center for Justice described the event in the following way in the “Welcome” section of the program:

“The Walk for Justice stems from the Christian tradition of the Stations of the Cross…the contemporary Station prayers, prepared by various justice-seeking coalitions/communities, call us to be in solidarity with those suffering at the hands of the ‘powers and principalities’ in which communities of people and Planet Earth continue to be condemned, stripped of dignity, tortured and killed by unjust public policies….The theme for this year’s Good Friday walk is TRUTH CANNOT BE SILENCED! ….Despite dominating powers in society using silencing as a weapon - Truth cannot be ignored…Nor can the good works of communities of resistance be stopped.”

It is a huge interfaith effort and hundreds join the walk to pray, speak and sing together in reflection through many blocks and many different voices for truth. The group is led by mimes who are gagged with cloth and carry the cross. There are many who read stories of witness and prayer. There are those who carry the Station’s number and name so we can follow along. All sorts of people gather and follow along, and at the end there are those who beat upside down plastic containers as drums.

The following is a general summary of the walk:

We began with a call to prayer, a refrain in both English and Spanish: “We shall not, we shall not be moved. Just like a tree that’s standing by the water, we shall not be moved.” The Anawim Center presented the blessing of the walk. The Anawim Center called for a rediscovery of “the White, Black, Yellow and Red Nations of the world–the way the Great Spirit asked of us to respect each others gifts…let us not be afraid to love one another.” The responses were a progression of statements that made up a prayer for all life, all creeds and all of creation, from small to grand to find gratitude, peace and blessings with Creator.

The second station was CONDEMNED, presented by Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. There was prayer for solidarity with the planet and life. The third station was BURDENED, presented by Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP). Poverty and Human Rights were stated and the response was: “The truth cannot be silenced”.

The fourth station was HELPED IN THE STRUGGLE, presented by Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues. There were three witness stories from people experiencing the injustices having to do with Labor and Workers Rights. The response was: “Hear our voices rising up!”

The fifth station was WEEPING WOMEN, presented by Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition. Witnessing on Migration issues were shared. The response was: “We grow silent, we grow still, we weep for the migrant children”. One of the witnessing facts shared at this station was the following: “Every year it is estimated that 48,000 unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America leave home and enter the US alone. Most are in search of loved ones in the US. (From All the Children Left Behind, Barbara Belejack)”

The sixth station, FALLING was presented by Catholics United for Racial Justice. Issues of Racial Superiority and witnessing to ‘White Privilege’ was shared as adapted from “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh. African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and Filipino Americans witnessed to collective challenges and accomplishments. We all pledged Support for Racial Justice. The seventh station was MOTHERS GRIEVING, was presented by Families to Close the School of the Americas. The witness to Militarization of Schools and Recruitment was by a child, a mother and the crowd. Rufina Amaya, a sole survivor of the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador was remembered at this time for her story and all her work for justice until her death that occurred earlier this year.

The eighth station was STRIPPED, presented by Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, regarding Torture. Facts of torture as reported from Abu Ghraib, Sherbegan Prison in Afghanistan, Seymour Hersh speaking at an ACLU event and a composite Iraqi detainee testimony were all shared. The response was: “Truth cannot be silenced!” followed by prayer and a song sung as was by prisoners in South Africa to the other inmates as they were taken away one by one to be tortured or executed: “Courage, brother, you do not walk alone. We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home. Courage sister….Courage children…”

The ninth station was EXECUTED, presented by Voices for Creative Nonviolence, regarding especially Iraq and Iran. Facts and witnessing to the war was shared. The response was: “Rise Up! Truth cannot be silenced!” Ehren Watada, a First Lieutenant of the United States Army was remembered, as he publicly refused deployment to Iraq in June of 2006. Voices for Creative Nonviolence noted Watada’s statement that he believes the war to be illegal and that under the doctrine of command responsibility, it would make him party to war crimes.

The tenth station was TRUTH CANNOT BE SILENCED, presented by 8th Day Center for Justice and the Prophetic Players. God, Jesus and great leaders for Justice and New Life were remembered and in response all used noisemakers and stated “Truth Cannot Be Silenced!” as a sign of resurrection-hope.

(All the information regarding the stations were taken from the program we were provided with by the 8th Day Center. Their site is on the blogroll.)

The walk has gone on for the last 28 years rain or shine. Liz Deligio just informed us that this Good Friday had the worst winter weather they have ever experienced in the history of the walk. The wind and snow were quite intense, though beautiful as well. Our programs became permanently soggy and it was challenging to fully participate in the whole walk, I must admit. My daughter is seven years old, she is amazing, she was really patient, but it got too hard in the weather a few times and we had to take breaks. I regret that we couldn’t delve deeper into the moments, but I am glad we experienced what we did. I will never forget the stories, prayers, songs and witnessing — voices rising up together echoing through the streets of Chicago.

Here are the Prophetic Players with the cross in front of the Chicago Board of Trade for the Fourth Station, HELPED IN THE STRUGGLE, presented by Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues.

Here is Samara also in front of the Chicago Board of Trade building for the fourth station.

On Good Friday we will walk…

This is like a quick note left for you on the kitchen table to let you know what’s up, and where I am. :o)
My daughter and I will be traveling with sisters and affiliates from the FSPA Peace and Justice committee to Chicago tomorrow. We will be walking in the Good Friday Walk for Justice with the 8th Day Center, for the first time. I will let you know how it goes. I love Chicago and it will be our first time visiting the 8th Day Center — seeing how things are there. By the way, Chicago is participating in the Earth Hour, mentioned in my last post. Hooray Chicago!

Also, The New Earth class with Oprah and Mr. Tolle, has been working!   The first class only worked for about 10 minutes for me. But the second class worked the whole time. I had shivers upon shivers as Oprah listed all the countries around the world participating. What a marvelous feeling, to be connected for one and 1/2 hours with millions world wide, talking about presence, soul level consciousness and the present moment. It is really great to participate in this process. I am making great strides in my own practice and I am impressed! There is still time to join the class too, if you are interested, it is free.

Other than that, Jeff and I are enjoying the humor of Larry David and John Stewart.  Not together, but on their two different shows, “Curb” and “The Daily Show”.  We are laughing lots and that is also very good.  My gut is quite grateful for them. :o))

“I am indeed a practical dreamer…I want to convert my dreams into realities as far as possible.” –Mahandas Gandhi (1869-194

prayers of love, humor and peace to you this week,

CSS moonseeds