The Caring for All Creation: Land, Water, Our Natural Community series is a weekly gathering of the diverse peoples who care about our lands, waters and communities in different ways. The series is premised on having to create a caring community that knows and supports each other as we take on the vital task of seeing, thinking and acting in new ways. Every 2 weeks, we gather as large groups (one in Vancouver, one in Victoria, or tune-in online) to reflect about the various aspects caring for our Earth implies. Each gathering begins with a shared meal, followed with facilitated dialogue, guest speakers, and reflection around a central theme. It addresses the head, the heart, and our hands. (Participate as a community member or for credit as a student through Vancouver School of Theology!)
In the weeks between large gatherings, participants meet in smaller neighbourhood groups. A guideline of readings, activities and “field” trips are provided each time, as well as opportunities to meet with the facilitators and guest speakers again. Neighbourhoods gather to re-localize caring relationships – with each other and with their particular lands. In diverse gifts within their own neighbourhood will become known, enabling neighbourhoods to better care for their community. In so doing, they will simultaneously respond to global injustice. And will know they do so in solidarity with many others.
By facilitating an understanding of how injustices around the world are connected, this series lifts up local acts of care as the way to respond to global systemic-injustice. This series differentiates by gathering diverse peoples. Its intent is to reveal just how many others are working towards peace also and that when recognizing this in each other, we might actually do so. Overcoming the crises upon our horizon requires us to re-knit ourselves to each other and to our lands. Only by gathering regularly over a period of time can a land-based community to this liking be built. This series is an effort to build to begin building this resilient community; the beginning of, what Aldo Leopold terms, “a Communality Land-Ethic.”
All are welcome. All are needed.
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