Replies

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for sharing this, beautiful, I’m going to come back to it and reflect on this. Wonderful!

For me, the course is over now, but I do hope I’ll be able to stay in touch …. perhaps through SPARKS?

Best wishes!

Hi Douglas,

Yes, if it works for you, great!

I used to be content with Twitter, until recently! I’ve looked at Threads and BlueSky, I haven’t really settled with anything yet though.

Hello Bill,

That’s wonderful, and such a coincidence!!

I was there in the 80’s but I’m sure Sjarif and I have many shared experiences.

Although I moved away quite a long time ago now, the life I lived there has had a profound influence on me.

I’m really happy that you shared this with me, Bill, thank you!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Andrew

Hello Kathleen,

Thanks so much for your reply.
It’s greatly appreciated!

Andrew

I have a copy of her book ‘Devotions’. So many beautiful poems!

Hello Douglas,

I can’t seem to find an attachment for the clip you mentioned, although I’ve had a quick look on Youtube, and the movie appears to be there. Thanks so much for the feedback! I’ll give the movie a go!

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for the feedback!

Best wishes,
Andrew

It’s interesting reading the book, as it was written when the pandemic experience was still recent and raw. I think, among many other things, it forced people to reflect upon how they were leading their lives, and I feel that many people, at the time, had hoped to make positive changes when life returned to ‘normal’. A few years on, I wonder how many people were able to make meaningful changes. And so yes, I agree, reading the book has been a positive experience, learning how various communities responded in constructive ways.

Living in a different culture to your own, I would say that here, in Taiwan, the majority of people do prefer fresh locally grown produce, it’s cheaper and fresher, and therefore tastes better!

Thanks for the post!

I think we have to live with hope for the future, otherwise, what is the option.

Of course, the climate crisis demands urgency and action, but there are elements that could give hope. There has been a rapid growth in renewable energy. If this trend continues to develop, then, although not a solution, it’s a step in the right direction.

I would like to believe that there is a growing political commitment, but this certainly varies greatly from country to country. Certainly, some countries are making progress, while others seem to be backsliding.

Possibly, the greatest signs of hope come from the growing awareness and youth activism. We have to hope that such activism will make a difference.

Hello Nelson, thanks for sharing this wonderful post! You remind me of the American poet WS Merwin, who spent many years returning a pineapple plantation back to its original state of jungle.

Your yard seems like the perfect place for a morning coffee!

Andrew

Hello George,

If by producing crops we are destroying the lands and the water, then surely we need to find more sustainable ways. Hasn’t that been the message of Wendell Berry for so many decades now.

I know that my small organic vegetable patch isn’t going to feed many people, but mustn’t we find less harmful ways of living?

Andrew

Montgomery, this is a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to read more of his work. And Dennis, ‘The Sounds of Spring’, fabulous!

Hello Bhavana,

Thank you so much for your reply. You have given me a lot to think about!

I came to process thought through my reading of Taoism and Chan, and although Christianity is my cultural background, I find some of the topics we’ve covered recently a bit of a challenge, but I try to stay open and receptive.

I really appreciate what you said about encounters with God, (even the term God …. I struggle) but satyam shivam sundaram, this is something that I can value.

Again, many thanks!
Andrew

Hi Robert,

That’s wonderful!

The taste of freshly harvested organic produce certainly make all the work worthwhile! The best of luck with your crops this year!

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for your kind reply.

At times, I know I have struggled with some of the course material, but I do find it most important within the concept of environmentalism. For now, I’ll follow that and see where it takes me.

Thanks again,

Andrew