“In community, we discover what we are truly worth as we help each other through the losses and the crises, as we work together to heal the damages inflicted by this culture. Community is built from groups. The result of any creative work…….depends on how well we can work with others in groups. That realization is disconcerting, for groups can be maddeningly frustrating as easily as they can be supportive and empowering.” Starhawk, Dreaming The Dark
There is much at stake when someone decides to challenge bullies. The following three recent stories may help to fuel our collective need to push back against injustice.

The day after Trump’s inauguration, Mariann Edgar Budde, an Episcopal bishop, confronted him with a few “leftist” ideas such as: “We pray for unity that fosters community across diversity and division…that serves the common good……we are most dangerous to ourselves and others when we are persuaded without a doubt that we are absolutely right and someone else is absolutely wrong.”

Last week we heard about Grand Chief Philip Stewart recognizing the folly of his idea of resurrecting the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Admitting his mistake was greeted with applause from Chief Marilyn Slett, chief of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council who said: “We must do everything in our power to stop the planet from warming more. This includes ensuring we do not support fossil fuel extraction and transmission through pipelines no matter what kinds of threats Trump makes.”

This week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called Donald Trump “a threat to humankind” and declared: “Columbia is open to the entire world, with open arms” in the face of US deportations of, what Trump refers to as, “illegal Criminals.” That was Trump who capitalized the word criminals. Petro has a “leftist” background; he served two years in prison from 1985 until 1987 as a member of M-19, an underground liberation movement trying to overthrow a corrupt federal government. From 2012 until 2015, as Bogota’s mayor, Petro helped to significantly reduce debt, poverty and crime. As President, he has raised taxes on the wealthy and disavowed the terms left and right and instead speaks of “the politics of life rooted in defense of the environment and the politics of death rooted in resource extraction.” The Colombian vice-president is a Black woman named Francia Marquez.
I hope you feel more inspired to speak out a bit louder now that you have heard these stories of humility, courage and persistence. I sense that these folks can stand up to Trump because they are part of vibrant communities of care and kinship. How can we create networks and alliances that support and encourage us to take bold action?
On the Certain Days, Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar, the January page proclaims “Community Will Eclipse Empire.” We need to carry on building resilient communities while we still have some liberty to do so. Greta Thunberg gets the last word here. “The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.”
Maybe see you at the Community Volunteer Drive, Sat. Feb.1st 1030 until 2 at the DI Community Center. If you don’t see a group you want to join, start your own!