The Old Threads Are Unraveling by Julia Myers
The old threads are unraveling, Get your needles ready. We are stitching a new quilt of Humanity. Bring your old t-shirts, worn out jeans, scarves, antique gowns, aprons, old pockets of plenty who have held Earth's treasures, stones, feathers, leaves, love notes on paper. Each stitch A mindful meditation. Each piece of material A story. The more colour the better, so call in the Tribes. Threads of browns, whites, reds, oranges Women from all nations start stitching. Let's recycle the hate, the abuse, the fear, the judgment. Turn it over, wash it clean, ring it out to dry. It's a revolution of recycled wears. Threads of greens, blues, purples Colourful threads of peace, kindness, respect, compassion are being stitched from one continent to the next over forests, oceans, mountains. The work is hard Your fingers may bleed. But each cloth stitched together Brings together a community. A world, our future world Under one colourful quilt. The new quilt of humanity.
Writing this mini-sermon was challenging this week. How to weave together some thoughts and reflections about Caring Ministry and something about the state of country during this election season – pre and post.
So in my unease & anxiety on Thursday afternoon I took my notebook out to the horses to see what wisdom that they might have for me and all of us. My mind was jumbled. My breathing shallow. My shoulders tight. I was holding tension and feeling blocked. As I sat there watching Sweetie, Bonnie & Clyde, Kiona the barn cat jumped in my lap. My breathing deepened being in their presence. Clyde walked up to me. Bonnie & Sweetie looked right at me from a distance, licking and chewing. I started to feel lighter, less jumbled and anxious.
A question – How do we heal? What will we stitch together from the shreds and scraps? How do I, how do we, re-purpose and recycle the hate, abuse, neglect, fear, judgement?
The horses moved closer to one another. Calmly. Easily. They need each other, support each other. Are present for each other. There is no judgement. They are calm, confident, reliant, at ease. They are separate and united at the same time. I think back to a recent disagreement they had over hay – there was a 10 second bout of squealing and kicking and then a few seconds later, they were grazing together again peacefully.
How do we achieve this? Is this the sewing of colorful threads of peace, kindness, respect and compassion? What quilt of beauty can we create if we slow down, respect one another for who we are and what we bring to the world no matter our size, age, color, gender, ability?
I watch the herd move one step at a time and come to stand together in the shelter looking out at me. Breathing deeply. Each one strong, quiet, independent, and yet connected, peaceful, unified. Blowing out, licking and chewing, yawning, letting go. This herd … they are survivors of trauma, loss, injuries, illness, abandonment and now they stand together – brave, resilient, curious, relaxed, one. I hear the message “We’re in this together” as I sit in the sun and notice I feel calmer, more at peace, grounded, deeper breathing.
This new quilt of humanity, of life. It may not be easy to make. Our fingers may bleed, our hearts may hurt, there may be some squealing and kicking and yet as the horses remind me – We are in this together. It takes each of us stitching, mending, and finding the threads that bring us together. We need each other to thrive and to complete the quilt.
Let us reach out to those who are hurting, lonely, struggling, or grieving. Reach out to those in our families, community and country who think/believe differently than ourselves. Take a breath, say a prayer, pick up your imaginary needle and start stitching this new quilt – we need each other to mend and create this new humanity.
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