Active Hope in Turbulent Times

Becoming participants in the process of moving towards our hopes

Dear Friends,

It’s been another week in the United States of America. Heartbreak in the wake of another school shooting. The weirdness of Donald Trump’s unexpected disappearance from the public eye. Courageous survivors of abuse speaking out and an unlikely coalition coming together around the Epstein Files. ICE detained hundreds of workers in Georgia. Shocking revelations about overt and covert action from the United States military.

Beth voiced a lot of frustration in More to Say this week.

Sarah and Beth together worked to engage with the fact that our President does seem to have in his heart to be a dictator, and what we do with that information.

Today is not the last day. And this week is not the last week. On this Friday afternoon, we wanted to share a poem by Joanna Macy and the note that our beloved listener, Liz K shared with us:

I realized that the book I am reading right now, Active Hope by Joanna Macy, might have some helpful language for the community.

The subtitle of the book is “How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power.” In it, she defines Active Hope as becoming participants in the process of moving towards our hopes, and, where we can, realizing them, and passive hope as waiting for something external to bring us what we desire. I sincerely believe that what you are doing with the show, this “new direction,” is rooted in Active Hope. It’s distinct from toxic optimism and is an alternative to doom and horror. I am sending a passage that sums it up quite nicely.

I recommend it to you as you recommit to loving the beauty of your lives on whose behalf you act.

Warmly,
Liz K

Active Hope is not wishful thinking,
Active Hope is not waiting to be rescued
by the Lone Ranger or some savior.
Active Hope is waking up to the beauty of life
on whose behalf we can act.
We belong to this world.
The web of life is calling us forth at this time.
We've come a long way and are here to play our part.
With Active Hope we realize that there are adventures in store,
strengths to discover, and comrades to link arms with.
Active Hope is a readiness to engage.
Active Hope is a readiness to discover the strengths
in ourselves and in others,
a readiness to discover the reasons for hope
and the occasions for love.
A readiness to discover the size and strength of our hearts,
our quickness of mind, our steadiness of purpose,
our own authority, our love for life,
the liveliness of our curiosity,
the unsuspected deep well of patience and diligence,
the keenness of our sense, and our capacity to lead.
None of these can be discovered in an armchair or without risk.

---

What We’re Reading and Listening To This Week

• Sarah: The death of the corporate job (Still Wandering)

• Beth: I have thought a lot about true crime from the lens of the creator and from the lens of the victim. I love how The Housewarming is making me think about all of the other people caught up in stories that become true crime sensations.

• Alise: How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr

• Maggie: Parental over-functioning is a sneaky bastard (Parents of Adults)

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