June newsletter: Black Lives Matter and an invitation from N&N

Dear friends,  

We are full of grief and rage about the loss of Black life in state-sanctioned acts of white violence. We are full of grief and rage about a pandemic response that cost a disproportionate amount of Black and brown lives. We are full of grief and rage about those who wield power under cover of crisis to advance an agenda of hate against immigrants, poor and working class people, and people of color.  

We are full of grief and rage, and we are full of love for people righteously rising up across the world to say that Black Lives Matter.  

As a community of many spiritual and religious lineages, we are both heartbroken about the state of our world, and ever more emboldened about the spiritual task that lies before us.  

We are asking you to join us in taking action.

Here are two ways you can do that today: 

  1. If you are white, this set of action steps for fighting white supremacy from Showing Up for Racial Justice is a good place to start. 

  2. For addressing the structural inequities that got us here, join us in deepening your learning through Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project’s #CourseCorrection series. We will host two reflection sessions to accompany the four-part class. Classes are June 2, 16, and 30. Reflection sessions are June 9 and July 7.  

The past month’s blatant displays of anti-Black violence leave us all too aware that coronavirus is not the only pandemic we are up against. White supremacy is a spiritual pandemic. It has embedded itself into the DNA of our society. Our (in)justice system is particularly sick, justifying violence to maintain unjustpower.  

In moments of heightened visibility, we need to learn the virus and root it out with truth. We must ask and examine: Where does this story show up in our laws, our systems, and our own hearts? How can we prevent Black people from being killed in the name of order? How can we learn to live in new ways that keep us all safe? 

This kind of learning is inseparable from our spiritual, evolutionary work as humans, and we are committed to learning together. Will you join us?

Last month, we invited our network to take Movement Generation’s “Course Correction,” a series of classes about the economic and ecological shifts needed for a world that honors all of life. Take the course with us, and join a community reflection with Nuns & Nones. Here’s how:
  

  • Register here for #CourseCorrection, and put Nuns & Nones in the organization field. MG hosts live classes on May 19, and June 2, 16, and 30 from 6-8pm ET.  

  • (On the timing: It's not too late!) Class #2 starts tomorrow, but all classes are available online after they are hosted. You don’t need to be fully “caught up” to come to our community calls.  

  • Register for our Nuns & Nones community reflections on Tuesday, June 9 and Tuesday, July 7, from 6-8pm ET. Come to either or both. 

For years, Nuns & Nones has expanded the spiritual exploration of what it means to honor all life. Now, we have the chance to learn strategies for living in deep integrity with the web of life that connects us.  

  

Yours in grief, rage, hope, and learning, 
-the NN team