From tree canopy to stormwater management, there are countless benefits to integrating the environment into our cities. Greening cities comprises practices ranging from halting biodiversity loss to reforesting land within the city to reducing GHG emissions through transportation. There’s a lot to talk about, and Strong Towns Nanaimo is excited to speak about the ways … Continue reading Strong Towns – Greening Cities
In The Left Hand of Darkness, the writer Ursula K Legion wrote, “To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness.” So many religious and spiritual communities are struggling in these days, and so often their struggle is with unanswerable questions, or … Continue reading Do Not Answer Them
Our monthly theme of transformation invites a perspective on change that may alter our engagement with it. We know change happens, it is a consequence of living, can we embrace it instead of resisting it?
Our bodies gain information from and engage with the human and non-human world, in ways our conscious mind is often unaware of. Let’s explore how developing a deeper relationship with our bodies’ wisdom can support us in navigating challenging transitions. Arran Morton currently lives in Victoria, BC – though he is from Scotland and came … Continue reading In Times of Great Change, What Can the Wisdom of Our Bodies Offer Us?
Parker Palmer, author, philosopher and Quaker, speaks of the idea of witnessing the wild animal of your soul, only by sitting still, quietly, together in the woods, in hopes of sneaking a peak at our shy souls. He articulates that when we do this in the company of others we can be changed. What transformations … Continue reading Awakening to the Stillness
“Love is our doctrine,” were the first words of the covenant I grew up with as a Unitarian Universalist. Repeated week by week, I’ve probably said some version of the Griswold Williams covenant a couple of thousand times in my life. But what does it mean, to name love our doctrine? And what kind of … Continue reading Love is Our Doctrine
In this era, with Google always at our fingertips, how often do you say, “I don’t know?” How comfortable is it for you to stay in that space of ‘not knowing?’ What about the concept of humility – is that a good thing, a bad thing? Perhaps it depends on the context. Both not knowing … Continue reading I Don’t Know
In this time, we are facing multiple climate crises. It can be frightening and dispiriting. How can our values and practices sustain and inspire us – as individuals and as a Unitarian community? How can we get from despair to hope? Rev. Meg Roberts has served congregations in various parts of Canada during the last … Continue reading What Sustains and Inspires Us in This Climate Emergency?
Hope is a spiritual practice of sorts, an intention, and an orientation to life. It is also demanding and sometimes illusive. It is personal and collective, as the great Sufi mystic Rumi says, “There is a secret medicine given only to those who hurt so hard, they cannot hope.” It is this: “Look as long … Continue reading Hope, An Orientation to Life
Reilly Yeo is a Candidate for Ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association, and a Co-Founder of Climate Plan. Prior to entering seminary, she was the Director of Communications and Public Engagement at the David Suzuki Foundation, one of Canada’s largest environmental charities. She lives in James Bay with her partner Jamie, and two young children … Continue reading What Justice Means to Unitarian Universalists
