I know in many ways this is so obvious, but it’s on my mind and heart lately, especially as we emerge gradually out of this pandemic. . .
If we want to create alternatives to much of what we stand against –
Alternatives to consistent disregard for the environment,
Alternatives to endless greed and predatory capitalism,
Alternatives to structures solidified by racism and white supremacy,
Alternatives to empire upheld through continual war,
Alternatives to a host of societal wrongs. . .
If we want these alternatives, we have to start living them in community in the present. We can live these commitments in relationship.
Without question, to bring about these alternatives fully, we have to deconstruct and dismantle the destructive realities that are harming human lives and our planet. That is large, sweeping work on all levels.
But we also have to build something different. Even on a small scale, we can model something different, allowing and encouraging these alternatives to take hold and grow.
Like I said, this is extremely obvious, not a novel idea. And people are already working to live this way. Some people I know, in fact.
We need communities around these alternatives now, not only so they can take root for the future, which is of course true, but because we need hope and a fuller sense of aliveness right now. Some have been losing heart and hope for a long time.
Our alternatives cannot exist solely in a far off, distant future we’ll never see, though I certainly hope that timescale does matter to us. We are definitely working for the future. But in addition to that, we can work for the present. We can start living these values right now. How else are we going to get to where we want to go?
We can live more fully with one another right now.
Smuggling Grace 