Abundant Affirmation

I am growing into my call as a public theologian. Being a public theologian means that I am gifted with the ability to see the Sacred in all facets of life and I reflect on the meaning of the Sacred's presence in our culture, customs, organizations, and traditions. Being a public theologian means I call on my fellow sisters and brothers to act on the core of our shared values; to find ways to spread life-affirming to love to all of creation.

Being a public theologian also means I have the responsibility to acknowledge my faith stance, and be clear about the community from which I draw strength and those who ground my thoughts. My faith rests on two assumptions: 1) The Sacred is the affirming love available to all life and 2) Earth is the embodiment of The Sacred's life-affirming love. These statements are the core of my worship, prayer, activism, mothering, partnering, and learning. Every move I make is based on these beliefs. But today I am nudged to live into my beliefs a little more.

I am involved with the People's Summit, Seattle+10 event with the Community Alliance for Global Justice. This work allows me to deeply consider how the food I acquire affects Humanity and Earth which is the embodiment of The Sacred's life affirming love. The way we as as society gain food, use food and relate to food is a response to The Sacred's offer of life affirming love. I ask you to consider how are your really responding to the Sacred Source of all life? You may begin meal with a prayer or the saying of grace, but did you enter the meal space with reverence? Is the food on your plate sustainable to earth and humanity? Is there too much on your plate when others are in need?

As I learn more about permaculture, and social theory, I understand that earth has the ability to sustain life when life works in relationship with earth. In many ways our "life" as humans is disconnected with earth. In years past, I looked to earth to give me experiences of the divine so that I may be filled. I have learned the presence of Spirit works in the other direction. It is in the caring for earth, which is the response I offer to the Sacred of all life.

I have also learned that humanity has an amazing capacity to learn and adapt if we allow the space for that to happen. Just as our plates are full of food, so too are our brains full of information. I hope to create the sacred spaces for people of all social locations to come together to learn, reflect and support one another in life changes. That is what Seattle +10 is all about, there will be workshops to learn, spaces to talk and reflect, art activities to explore and meals to share and experience the Sacred which lives through and or all.

Now I can not leave our time together without recognizing the life-affirmation happening in my own faith community East Shore Unitarian Church. Through the summer, we began a "Farmers Market" where gardeners would bring extras from their gardens and the church members could buy it. Here is the most awesome part, the money collected from the "Market" goes to Heifer International, which spreads our transformational justice even further. How cool is that? How wonderful it is to be breathing, loving, and praying amongst people who are finding creative solutions with earth to respond to the life-affirming love of the sacred.