Radical Abundance

Right now I'm feeling very blessed with opportunity.

My school, Gustavus Adolphus, is a partner site for a big theological conference in New York-- people from all over the region are gathered in our campus center to watch webcasts of the three day conference and to discuss, in large and small groups, what these big theological ideas mean in our lives. The topic of the conference? Radical Abundance; a Theology of Sustainability.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The conference started last night, and I'm excited to share updates with you all as it progresses-- I'm planning on being inspired and enlightened both by the speeches (name-dropping: Sister Miriam MacGillis, Timothy Gorringe, Mestor Miguez, David Korten and Majora Carter, if you know of any of them...) and by conversation with other people looking for real ways to tie our faith to the Earth.

The opening worship was webcast last night, with a homily by Sister Mirriam MacGillis of Genesis Farms. Here are some ideas I jotted down from her talk:

• The earth is our body and blood
• Life on Earth is a seamless garment into which our being is woven
• The Neighbor is not just he human neighbor.
• The divine is within all.
• Humanity is the conciousness of the planet.

As some of you know, I spend last semester putting together a collection of poetry (not mine. We're talking Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, etc.) and essays (ok, those were mine) that work to bridge the chasm we've dug between humans and the rest of the network of life. We tend to see ourselves as separate from and more important than any other living thing-- a mindset that gives us permission to exploit our non-human neighbors.

I'm very pleased that the conference started this way. In my view, any discussion of science or theology or ecology, any conversation about what it all means or what to do next has to start from a place of personal and spiritual connection. Sister Miriam gave the conference that rooting, a gentle reminder of why we should care about what's to come.

I'll try to update regularly over the next few days as I spend my time immersed in this good stuff.

in the meantime, let all around you be peace!