The last Sunday of the month falls on Christmas Day, for those who mark this holiday. We are planning to take the day in silence as a way of celebrating this last Sunday of 2016. Any moments you have on the 25th to turn inward would likely be a blessing in the intensity of both the season and what is transpiring on the planet.
Our focus for reflection are words from Lyla June Johnson, a young woman on the Sioux Indian Youth Council. She has played a significant role in the story of Standing Rock, North Dakota in the US, where indigenous water protectors have stood up to corporate interests that jeopardize the liveability of their lands. The actions that these natives took were based in prayer, a form of silence in their culture.
We offer you this video of a women’s march to the Morton County courthouse, to forgive the aggressors who violated the dignity, safety and property of the native people. Lyla June represents clear warrior action that comes out of the depths of prayer, powerful beyond firearms. We include this as an example of precise action sourced from a deep, still interior place. In the year to come, many of us may be called to particular action. From where does this young woman's potency come?
We close 2016 in solidarity with you all, feeling more strongly than ever the gift of silence as a point of origin for meaningful and fulfilling lives. This network matters. With love,
Peri and Barbara