From the Heart Message - Part 1

The other day, Jane and I drove up to Port Townsend. It was a soft overcast day creating subdued colors. Along the way we turned off 101 and drove up Mount Walker. I had not been there since 1971 when I took a bunch of kids from the UPS Group Home up there. And again the mountain was in full bloom with lovely pink rhododendrons lacing the steep forest hillsides. Wild rhodies are all that soft pink, I’m told. The blush of blossoms filled the forest and my heart with beauty.

Port Townsend was dancing with celebration as the Hood Canal Bridge had opened the day before after many weeks of closure for repairs. That meant the way was open once again for tourists to reinvigorate the shops and bookstores in the charming, historic town. A rock and roll band was playing next to a pier and people were dancing in the street to the good old tunes. After walking around, enjoying the shops and book stores we went over to Fort Warden for a bike ride.

Fort Warden, which was strategically placed for sea defense at the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, especially during the dreadful days of WWI and WWII. It has been converted into a rich cultural center for education and activities. It is now a state park and has offices and facilities for colleges, environmental and musical events of highest quality and Copper Canyon Press. After riding around a bit and coasting down to the beach we rode past the old officers quarters and back toward the car. Jane was drawn to the rhododendron garden and leaning my bike against a sign I walked into the garden with her. There, standing simply and looking a bit neglected and worn, was a Peace Pole in the garden.

I remember when we planted that Peace Pole. In 1986 we were part of a peace gathering there with Earthstewards. Our late friend and great teacher, Danaan Parry called us all together and hundreds of us held a sacred ceremony in placing the Peace Pole in the ground. It states let there be peace in English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. We sanctified it and dedicated that place and ourselves at that time to the holy way of peace. Well that’s nice, you say, they planted a Peace Pole, so what came of that?

Remember, 1986 was the height of the cold war and we were pouring in millions and millions for nuclear and other forms of national defense. Remember the star wars defense touted by President Reagan and many others? And the secret wars of the CIA, the Iran Contra affair and such below the table tactics that were going on? It was also a time when farmers in Iowa and across the mid-west were sinking in debt and loosing everything and agribusiness was taking over. It was time for the people to do something for a better world than those at the control panel of power and greed.

We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts,

for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.

William Law

I know of some good things that came of that. Later that summer I was working in Seattle and attended a special education event sponsored by John Denver and the Snowmass Institute. They placed a Buckminster Fuller geodesic map of the globe on the floor and had people stand on different locations representing different nations, food and energy consumption, food production and water availability. Resource distribution and consumption. John Denver’s songs were a great set up to prepare us to get it. After the event I ran into a couple that had been at the Earthstewards Gathering, they were busy collecting donations to take on an old school bus from Seattle to central Mexico. There they had already made an initial visit to an orphanage, run by a priest in a building, which had been a hospital but was severely damaged in an earthquake. The priest had moved in, secured the structure, cleared away the rubble and taken in homeless children. My friends had taken many things the first time and told me of what a simple gift could do, such as a skate board someone donated became a means for a little girl, born without legs, to get around with ease and great freedom. And they had many other stories.

Another person among the Earthstewards owned a well digging business. He went to a Central American country and helped the people in a village to dig a well. Sounds simple enough, but for those people it was the first time in their history that their village could get fresh, clean water from the earth and not have to rely on surface (stream) water, carrying hosts of bacteria for many illnesses. Health, healing and happiness are natural outcomes of the holy way of peace.

May it be loving before us

May it be loving behind us

May it be loving above us

May it be loving below us

May it be loving all around us

In loving it is begun...

Navajo Prayer

Peace,    John