Saturday, May 11, 2013

Have we failed the human experiment?


Friends: 3 articles came to me today.


Here is a short video that may show a way out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBEGpUBRIYk&feature=player_embedded

Here is a beginning spirituality for a way towards:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/what-would-nature-do/inside-the-down-to-earth-economy/


In two groups in which I participated last week, we discussed that All Souls Church, we, need to stand for something bold. Yes, we need to continue our commitments to housing, environment, youth, the aging, excluded minorities, health care, New Orleans, Haiti, jobs, immigration reform, accountable institutions. But we also discussed that, in doing what we do no matter how small, we have to get behind all these issues with an analysis and strategy that is radical. I think that analysis and strategy has to do with the present money accumulating economy that is starkly dividing rich and poor and consuming our earth and our humanity and with the religious mind that sanctifies that economy. We need to advance a counter culture and new politics that will change the present economy that consumes us. 

For example, at this time some of us are committed to increasing and maintaining diversity in Columbia Heights and other local communities through affordable housing. But to do that I think it is important to understand the patterns of urbanization in DC which makes specific actions in our communities necessary; and how those urban patterns are part of the wasteful, consumptive, money economy. And we need to understand the underlying spirituality or mind or religion that sanctifies that economy and those patterns. I think we need to go there in any ministry we choose. We need to confront that mind and economy with a new spirituality and experiments in new economy. We can't just be about doing good. We have to stir the pot and make change.

I think these articles are getting to that but we need to grapple in our covenant groups, our committees, and our own reflections with what that means in practice. What do you think?

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