Even a wounded world is feeding us

REFLECT

"Joanna Macy writes that until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it — grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift."

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

"Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us."

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

As we approach Holy Week and the Way of the Cross, we meditate on the image of Jesus, a wounded healer who feeds and sustains us. The earth also continues to bring us the gift of life through food, water, and air despite the suffering it experiences. 

What lessons can we learn from this "wounded world that feeds us?"

What is one way you can heal the earth today? 

What healing might you need from the earth?

PRAY

If you are able, spend some time outside today to heal and be healed by the world. If you cannot get outside, sit next to a house plant, near a window, or imagine a nature scene that makes you feel peaceful and whole.

Lenten Daily Food Reflections

pause | reflect | act

Editor's note: These daily reflections on food, faith, climate and our lives will provide spiritual sustenance for the Lenten journey. They are inspired by the Lenten Food Waste Fast at the Ignatian Solidarity Network.