“In order to survive the apocalypse–
any apocalypse at all–
we have to give up
the counterfeit currency of self-
sufficiency”
-Sean Parker Dennison, from “How to Survive the Apocalypse,” in Breaking and Blessing
How can you practice giving up the harmful myth of self-sufficiency?
We all share one planet. While we are all individuals, communities are made up of individuals. Nations are made up of communities. We all need to be working together toward the good of all on the planet, including the humans and the animals and the plants.
-Judy DiCristofaro (CLF)
How can you live from your connection to our whole planet today?
When I was a child we were taught about endangered whales, and the human activity that put them in peril. Even as a four-year-old, I was led to understand that how I participated in our society had effects beyond me, and that my choices were important to the interdependent web of existence.
-Michael Tino (CLF)
What is one choice you can make today to benefit other beings?
Having lived in various environments throughout my life – rural, city, college campus, small town, and now on the road – I have realized that I feel my fullest self when connected to an interdependent community, where I know my neighbors, I am a regular at local businesses, and the people I know show up for each other through community events or other types of organizing. For me that has felt the most tangible in a city environment, and I’m looking forward to rejoining my interdependent community in the capital city of NH when I’m done with my travels. -Marin Smith (CLF)
Where have you felt most connected to a community?
The towering sculptures of Janet Echelman are reminiscent of the Unitarian Universalist 7th principle recognizing that we are all connected in an interdependent web of existence. These massive webs of netting often span city blocks and weigh tons, but the slightest breeze can send ripples through the entire sculpture, just like the web of existence we comprise. When any one part of the net is disturbed, we all are affected. When a portion of the net frays, we are all in jeopardy.
How do we ensure the web of existence stays strong?
