the rising faith

Currently Stephen and I are trying to read Endgame by Derrick Jensen. This is proving much more difficult for me than I had anticipated. We also just recently watched the documentary on plants that I urged people to buy called Numen. It was very good. One of the things that really stood out was a Native Hawaiian herbalist who asked, pleaded really, for people to stop sending the Earth the message that She is sick and dying. The herbalist said the Earth can heal if given time and help but She can't do it nearly as well with us constantly telling her she is terminal.

I don't know how I feel about this yet, still ruminating. But it was in stark contrast to all the other documentaries I have been watching lately. And especially to the Jensen book. His book is dark, funny and witty at times, but so dark. I knew what I was getting into (or so I thought) before we started but it's hard to finish. Harder for me because I am unreasonably empathetic, immaturely so even. I can't stand to watch people suffer even in movies, even to educate myself, even when it's true. So the fact that Jensen is painting such a stark and unrelenting picture of death and eminent destruction makes me turn away. We have two children. What will the world be like for them? How can I just sit here and let all this happen? Should I hoard resources? Guns? Pack up and move to Norway? Pretend it will all work out?

I think this last one is the one that will win out in my mind. Norway is too cold and I don't know the first thing about guns. But I have to have hope. Even if science says there is none. I have to move forward with our lives and our plans and deal with things that are right in the present. And I have to believe that come what may, the Earth is more magnificent and resilient than we know. This is not me giving anyone license not to care, not to try and cut way down on pollution and excess. This is me letting faith rise to the top.