This week I offer a third and final reflection on Becoming Rooted, Randy Woodley's latest book of 100 short meditations to help us reconnect with the earth.
Click below to listen to The Circle, then read the short commentary below.
The Ecological Disciple is part of Circlewood, an organization focused on "accelerating the greening of faith." I chose the name Circlewood for some of the same reasons Randy mentions in his meditation. Circles are found throughout nature, often repeated in fractal patterns, like the leaves of this plant.
Circles are also important to adherents of Celtic Christianity, a stream of faith that connects deeply with the non-human world, and one that is important to Tom and Christine Sine, whose work through Mustard Seed Associates preceded and gave birth to Circlewood. You can see the centrality of circles in Celtic crosses, such as the one below.
I have been drawn to Celtic expressions of faith recently, in part through the encouragement of Randy to explore my indigenous roots. I was born in King's Lynn, England, not far from one of the centers of Celtic faith, The Holy Island of Lindisfarne. While I now live an ocean and a continent away, being drawn back feels a little like, well, coming full circle.
As Randy also points out, circles have no beginning or end; everything and everyone in a circle is interconnected. Circles can help us connect to and understand one another, the natural world around us, the turn of the seasons, and our place in the ever moving cycle of life and death. In all these ways, circles can call us to lives of harmony and balance.
In our design of Circlewood Village on Camano Island, circles have been prominent. The village center will be a circle with a gathering center in the middle, a place we currently call "the nest." Our hope is that this design will connect people, and help them make connections that open up their hearts and minds in new and restorative ways. Our desire is that Circlewood Village will create ripples, like those on a pond - circles of energy, purpose, and life that will bring life and healing to people and planet.
Take a moment today to reflect on the circular nature of life - your life, and the life of the world - held together by our Creator, who, in our trinitarian understanding, is a circle of relationship and love.
With you on the Way,
James
If you enjoyed The Circle, I encourage you to purchase the book it comes from, Becoming Rooted. If you are a Circlewood supporter, you can just wait a few weeks - we will be sending the book to you and hosting an exclusive webinar with Randy just for you.
Please share this post, add a comment, or reach out to me directly at james.amadon@circlewood.online.