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In the Dark

Today – these dark days of war raging in Europe – my heart bleeding, the deep red camelia in my garden brings strength. My eye catches the smile of her sister camelia tree, finally releasing the feminine grace of her first pink blossoms that resemble lotus flowers. Peace – she whispers, and I fall into prayer with all plant beings, animal beings, human beings. Mercy, mercy.

A David and Goliath Story has been evolving on the world stage for us to behold, has perhaps even surprised us. Teaching us what true leadership looks like, the willingness to sacrifice one’s safety and life, to govern with clarity, integrity, courage, and to model the virtues that are necessary in times of hardship and suffering, in times of needed Resistance. This true leadership – we don’t get to see it that often these days. But its power is obvious, it pierces our hearts, it makes us choke with feeling. It forces us to live up to the necessary inspiration of the Impossible. May we pay attention, take note, and recommit with dedication, patience, perseverance. 


All oppressed and persecuted people know about this quiet courage, it is their daily bread. May we all be humble shepherds and faithful stewards of life lived with courage, justice, equality, and peace – beginning with the garden of our heart, our neighborhood, our community, our world....  
 



Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 3, 2022 at 4:44 PM

    We are now over a week into this madness, enormous sadness and horror unfolding, my anger and helplessness rising. I am truly in awe of Zelensky’s leadership and Ukrainian resistance and resilience. I am also profoundly aware how little the world can do in the face of one leader’s relentless pursuit of power and control, however mad it be, when he has strategically amassed authoritarian control, effectively eliminated opposition and dissent within his own country, and sits atop an arsenal of almost 6000 nuclear warheads he has few qualms in using. It is another reminder how interconnected we all are, how fragile our world, our existence truly is.

    My cercis redbud is beginning to bloom, tiny, tight magenta buds that will burst into a profusion of flowers on barren stems, at this stage one could almost miss them. It’s one of the first signs of spring in my garden, along with my Japanese maple slowly starting to leaf out. New beginnings.

    I am heartened by the global outpouring of empathy and support of Ukrainian civilians under fire and siege, the opening of borders to refugees fleeing their homeland. Their plight no different from civilians caught anywhere in the middle of conflict so often completely out of their control or making, whether in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, or Gaza.

    It is my small hope that this current tragedy will somehow awaken a worldwide consciousness to see the humanity, value and caring needs of all people – not just the ones who most closely resemble us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KarinaMarch 3, 2022 at 8:56 PM

    thank you for writing, yes we are in archetypal times, blatant times, disastrous times – time to awake!

    ReplyDelete
  3. nicole gervacioMarch 7, 2022 at 10:32 PM

    these photos of flowers from the garden inspire both humility as well as awe. we are living in incredibly terrifying & deeply transformational times. i have said it so many times for years now, and it does not seem to get any lighter.

    when you say "All oppressed and persecuted people know about this quiet courage, it is their daily bread. May we all be humble shepherds and faithful stewards of life lived with courage, justice, equality, and peace – beginning with the garden of our heart, our neighborhood, our community, our world...."

    ...it echoes & resonates so deeply.

    ReplyDelete
  4. KarinaMarch 8, 2022 at 4:37 PM

    Nicky, thank you, you are one of those flowers!
    I have been wondering why i am so irrepressibly drawn to and in love with the mysterious faces of flower-beings and their unique expressions and power. Each exudes something we need desperately, increasingly... For me it is, among other things, delight, beauty, and the courage to be vulnerable, honest and faithful to who we are. With this inspiration can help us to find inner strength and ride on the responsibilities that come with being alive... Bringing us closer to true freedom, freedom for all. Flowers are part of our planet’s awesome greening power. To me, it seems that each humble flower knows connected aliveness, and shows us how freedom is born.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alex KMarch 10, 2022 at 5:15 PM

    The beauty and openness of the flowers is reflected in the wisdom and directness of your words. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. FernMarch 11, 2022 at 7:50 AM

    So beautifully said. May the beauty of your words carry across the seas to encourage the Resistance and allow the flowers to bloom again.

    ReplyDelete

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