Found Exhortation


Yesterday I walked over to the White House and joined at the final step of a pilgrimage for peace in Gaza. Among the walkers and those giving voice at the White House were Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Baptists, AME, Hindus, Quakers, Lutherans, and other Christian denominations.
The speaker representing Hindus for Human Rights said this was a shanti yatra—literally a pilgrimage for peace. Every step, every action, every word for peace a prayer embodied.

Today I harvested herbs to dry (lemon balm, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage). I froze a pint of garlic chive blossoms, made a green jerk sauce, a basil-garlic chive pesto–most went into the freezer, the rest I will eat in the next week or so. I started a mint liqueur and today’s bean harvest, yielded a pint of fresh beans that I put into the freezer. And I started stringing chili peppers to dry. I found it soothing and meditative.

Sometimes when I am looking for inspiration, I take a book off of my shelf, let it fall open where it will, and see whether there is a sentence or phrase that resonates for my day. Here’s my random quote for the day:
“May we be without fear/ by night and day!/ Let all the world be my friend!” Atharva Veda, XIX, 19 (Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience Mantramanjari)