There is a native concept of considering what the effects of decisions made today will be on seven generations into the future. The following quotation makes a two-way connection between us and future generations. Looking at each other over the generations. The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are prayingContinue reading “The eyes of the future are looking back at us”
Category Archives: stories
CALLIGRAPHY – A Sacred Tradition
What an extraordinary way the reed pen has of drinking darkness and pouring out light! – Abu Hafs Ibn Burd Al-Asghar – As usual, I had no idea what I would be writing about this morning. I most often write about injustice, activism, and/or faith. These days are filled with so much injustice and disasterContinue reading “CALLIGRAPHY – A Sacred Tradition”
Mutual Aid stories
For the past week I’ve been thinking and praying a lot about Mutual Aid in preparation for a discussion we plan to have at my Quaker meeting tomorrow. As I have nearly every Saturday for the last year, I was with my Mutual Aid friends this morning for our weekly food distribution. Here are aContinue reading “Mutual Aid stories”
Wet’suwet’en solidarity in Iowa
There will be a gathering in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en peoples this Wednesday, December 22, at 4:00 PM. at the Chase Bank, 3621 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines, IA 50310. Chase is one of the major institutions funding fossil fuel projects, including the Coastal GasLink pipeline being built on Wet’suwet’en lands. Pressuring financial institutions toContinue reading “Wet’suwet’en solidarity in Iowa”
Envelope drawings
There is a long history of connection between Bear Creek Friends Meeting in rural Iowa, and Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica. Wolf and Lucky Guindon and my parents, Burt and Birdie Kisling, had a double wedding at the Bear Creek Meetinghouse in 1950. Shortly afterward, the Guidon’s were among a small group of QuakersContinue reading “Envelope drawings”
Unban Anti-racism Education in Iowa
The Great Plains Action Society youth organizers and experts across Iowa weigh in on white supremacy and the ban on Critical Race Theory. The bans on Critical Race Theory across the country are one of many examples of efforts to whitewash the truth. Online Pushback: UnBan Anti-Racism Education in Iowa YouTube Link youtube.com/watch?v=tIlz26X7T-U The TruthContinue reading “Unban Anti-racism Education in Iowa”
First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March Anniversary
My grandmother, Lorene Standing, said the will of God is often revealed in a series of small steps. I thought that meant a series of spiritual messages and that has been my experience. But also, looking back over our lives, the series of actions we took, the decisions we made, map the path traveled. SpiritualContinue reading “First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March Anniversary”
Mutual Aid Case study 1
Things at our weekly Mutual Aid free food project didn’t go as usual. Which is a good illustration of how and why Mutual Aid works so well. Every Saturday morning my Des Moines Mutual Aid group comes to Trinity Las Américas United Methodist Church in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. There we continue the free foodContinue reading “Mutual Aid Case study 1”
What kind of ancestor do you want to be?
In these increasingly troubled times I find myself thinking about the concept of sensemaking, the action or process of making sense of or giving meaning to something, especially new developments and experiences. It is increasingly difficult to make sense of all that is going on today. All the bad things I had anticipated for the future areContinue reading “What kind of ancestor do you want to be?”
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