The Graze V.167: Rivers of Connection

Hi Friends:

Sitting on the porch after a week of devastating floods in Killington and across Vermont, I hear the birds in the nest on the eaves calling their mother for food. Even amidst such turmoil, the natural world keeps asking and keeps receiving.

The water flowing off the mountains and into (and over!) river beds reminds me of how everything is connected. Earth's ecosystems have evolved for millions of years to create diverse and complex biological communities that live in balance with their environment, despite disruptions.

Alexander Von Humboldt, the 18th-century scientist, and explorer, was the first to explain the fundamental functions of the forest for the ecosystem and climate. He claimed that the world is a single interconnected organism.

From the watershed to the soil web, our connection to one another and creation is profound. It is tempting to look at our land as broken. But it is not the land that is broken; it is our relationship to the land that is broken. There is a profound need for a new spiritual worldview.

I ponder on the porch: How can we build a spiritual model in harmony with nature? How can we better understand the linkages between environmental well-being, spiritual connection, economic development, and climate change? These questions are essential to our lives and the life of our planet.

Our hearts go out to those most vulnerable. May you feel a deep connection to the earth and one another with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.

Peace and Connection,

🌱 💚 Lisa