Dear Gatherers and Storytellers,
The story which appears at http://Earthtiribe.Com/Teachings/ was brought to my attention by my sister-of-the-heart, Shiila Safer, Earth Tribe member. It is the story of Jonathan McCombs whose family perished in the recent Blanco River Valley storms and floods in Wimberly, Texas. Look on the above mentioned web site for the heading Earth First Warriors if you'd like to read a profoundly inspirational story. This story is important because it encourages us to honor what wants and needs honoring. Let me explain.
Jonathan McCombs and his family were on vacation. Unfathomable tragedy followed. The only survivor in the family of four, he lost his wife and two young children. This brave and wise man who spoke from his heart at a community football game in Wimberly, Texas, shared his feelings and love for the river that took his loved ones. He honored the community who cared for him as if he was one of their own.
This man's story touched our hearts. It's a rare person who, so soon after such devastation, would be in a place to show his deep love for the land, the river and community. One might assume that his attention would only be focused on his loss. This is also a story of possibly a bigger picture that we too often over look.
Our friends, Will Taegel and Judith Yost, co-founders of the Earthtribe, who by their own admission are not your best fans of football but do love community and connecting with friends, they attended the game and heard the talk that summer eve by Jonathan. Was it only the love of community and connecting with friends that brought them to the game? I'd like to propose another way of looking at what drew them there.
Is it possible that Will and Judith, unbeknown to them, were answering a call from another realm to witness Jonathan McComb's remarks that evening for a larger purpose? Will and Judith are elders, teachers, with a message. Here was an opportunity to share with all of us about a person with a sense of deep humility and love for our earth home. We could say they were in the right place at the right time. Was it just a coincidence or had they been called by Spirit? After all, this subject has been an integral part of their life's work; the subject of consciousness raising and especially about the relationships with our Mother, the Earth.
In the literature of rabbinic sages there is a phrase; "Mochin d'gadhut" meaning spacious mind. It refers to that level of consciousness that sees all things as manifestations of God. “The operative condition of spacious mind is love.” (Ethics of the Sages by Rabbi Rami Shapiro)
Is there really an expanded purpose of this tragedy? Maybe not on an immediate personal level. Our native spiritual leader elders would hold such a sad story as there must be a larger purpose. I would ask the question, “By attending that game, did Will and Judith answer a call to encourage mankind to wake up?” Do you call this way of thinking, “a stretch of the imagination?” It may be a necessary stretch for mankind to participate in creating well being here on earth.
Will Taegel is a man whose teachings are well documented in his book, The Mother Tongue. He collaborated with the earth walk of Bear Heart during an eventful decade, sometimes as student, other times as teacher. Just as Jonathan McCombs might have chosen a different path than compassion and love of a river, Bear Heart also could have lived his life with animosity in his heart and we would have understood because of his own circumstances of his tribe's history of devastation and the death of his 17 year old son. He chose a life of service teaching that the power of love is all encompassing. I am suggesting that the coming together of Jonathan McCombs, his story and Judith and Will Taegel's attendance at the community football field was not an accident. How we choose to hold things contributes to one's personal well being and the earth's well being. It is something to ponder on.
Follow your Heart. There is always a purpose, maybe one that we cannot see with our eyes or our reasoning.
Waterspirit
The story which appears at http://Earthtiribe.Com/Teachings/ was brought to my attention by my sister-of-the-heart, Shiila Safer, Earth Tribe member. It is the story of Jonathan McCombs whose family perished in the recent Blanco River Valley storms and floods in Wimberly, Texas. Look on the above mentioned web site for the heading Earth First Warriors if you'd like to read a profoundly inspirational story. This story is important because it encourages us to honor what wants and needs honoring. Let me explain.
Jonathan McCombs and his family were on vacation. Unfathomable tragedy followed. The only survivor in the family of four, he lost his wife and two young children. This brave and wise man who spoke from his heart at a community football game in Wimberly, Texas, shared his feelings and love for the river that took his loved ones. He honored the community who cared for him as if he was one of their own.
This man's story touched our hearts. It's a rare person who, so soon after such devastation, would be in a place to show his deep love for the land, the river and community. One might assume that his attention would only be focused on his loss. This is also a story of possibly a bigger picture that we too often over look.
Our friends, Will Taegel and Judith Yost, co-founders of the Earthtribe, who by their own admission are not your best fans of football but do love community and connecting with friends, they attended the game and heard the talk that summer eve by Jonathan. Was it only the love of community and connecting with friends that brought them to the game? I'd like to propose another way of looking at what drew them there.
Is it possible that Will and Judith, unbeknown to them, were answering a call from another realm to witness Jonathan McComb's remarks that evening for a larger purpose? Will and Judith are elders, teachers, with a message. Here was an opportunity to share with all of us about a person with a sense of deep humility and love for our earth home. We could say they were in the right place at the right time. Was it just a coincidence or had they been called by Spirit? After all, this subject has been an integral part of their life's work; the subject of consciousness raising and especially about the relationships with our Mother, the Earth.
In the literature of rabbinic sages there is a phrase; "Mochin d'gadhut" meaning spacious mind. It refers to that level of consciousness that sees all things as manifestations of God. “The operative condition of spacious mind is love.” (Ethics of the Sages by Rabbi Rami Shapiro)
Is there really an expanded purpose of this tragedy? Maybe not on an immediate personal level. Our native spiritual leader elders would hold such a sad story as there must be a larger purpose. I would ask the question, “By attending that game, did Will and Judith answer a call to encourage mankind to wake up?” Do you call this way of thinking, “a stretch of the imagination?” It may be a necessary stretch for mankind to participate in creating well being here on earth.
Will Taegel is a man whose teachings are well documented in his book, The Mother Tongue. He collaborated with the earth walk of Bear Heart during an eventful decade, sometimes as student, other times as teacher. Just as Jonathan McCombs might have chosen a different path than compassion and love of a river, Bear Heart also could have lived his life with animosity in his heart and we would have understood because of his own circumstances of his tribe's history of devastation and the death of his 17 year old son. He chose a life of service teaching that the power of love is all encompassing. I am suggesting that the coming together of Jonathan McCombs, his story and Judith and Will Taegel's attendance at the community football field was not an accident. How we choose to hold things contributes to one's personal well being and the earth's well being. It is something to ponder on.
Follow your Heart. There is always a purpose, maybe one that we cannot see with our eyes or our reasoning.
Waterspirit