CES Login
New Issue Available
To purchase the Thomas Berry Tribute edition of The Ecozoic, pay $20 per copy using the payment button below and provide your mailing address and any mailing instructions on the payment page. Contact Herman Greene for information.
| Introduction |
| Written by Wendy Burkland Lombard | |||||||
|
Look up at the sky-
The heavens so blue, the sun so radiant, The clouds so playful, the soaring raptors, The meadows in bloom, the woodland creatures, The rivers singing their way to the sea, Wolf song on the land, whale song in the sea, Celebration everywhere, wild, riotous, Immense as a monsoon lifting an ocean of joy And spilling it down over the Appalachian Landscape, Drenching us all with a deluge of delight As we open our arms and rush toward each other, You and I and all of us, Moved by that vast compassionate Presence That brings all things together in intimate Celebration, Celebration that is the universe itself.
Thomas Berry, from Every Being Has Rights,
Twenty-Third Annual E.F. Schumacher Lectures Stockbridge, Massachusetts, October 2003 Dear Reader: Thomas Berry had a knowing of a “vast compassionate Presence” when he stood as a young boy at the edge of the meadow by his home. He would often refer back to his experience of the meadow as he developed his own inner knowing of the wholeness and sacredness of the cosmos. Many of us have had our own “meadow” experience— whether in outer nature or through our inner nature. The wisdom from this experience is what the articles, poetry and art in this Reader exemplify. Our group came together guided by a strong inner desire to move forward the vision of the Ecozoic through the wisdom of women. As we worked together, we felt this wisdom was indeed about the inner experience of the feminine rather than the outer role of women in our society, although you will find writings on this “outer” topic as well. Our main goal in this offering is to put both men and women in touch with the wisdom of the feminine within themselves and to see this wisdom at work in global transformation and movement towards the Ecozoic. For the past 18 months, each of us brought our compassionate presence, authenticity, receptivity, and discernment to the table, always keeping in mind that we worked for a higher purpose to let the vision emerge and unfold. In Western culture, it is easy to intellectualize the work of both the Ecozoic and of environmentalism, because we were taught to live in our minds rather than in our bodies. The work of the body and of the feminine is difficult for most of us since it lives in the realm of inner sensing and feeling. But if we do not progress in our inner work, the outer work will languish. It is the feminine consciousness that makes the inner work possible. We made it a point to ask our authors to include something personal from their experience of the feminine, and we hope that the work presented in this Reader will invite you to explore and sense your own relationship to the feminine as it relates to the Ecozoic. In this spirit, we ask you to consider how feminine wisdom and vast compassionate Presence can deepen your journey towards wholeness and facilitate the outer work for an environmental future that nurtures our relationship to Earth. This issue will begin with Thomas Berry’s writing on “The Wisdom of Women.” Enjoy the journey! Wendy Burkland Lombard Joanna Haymore Ann Loomis Nancy Rickard
|
|||||||
