Silence

I have been thinking about communication this semester as the direct messages we provide to others. Obviously this is a little shortsighted, but to be honest it captures and holds our attention.  For the more enlightened it is easy to see how this is merely a distraction holding us back from our true purpose.

John Frances saw an Exxon oil spill in the 1970's and took an usual form of protest. He chose to stop riding in cars. After a lively discussion with his community about why he no longer would ride in cars he found himself in argument after argument. So he chose to remain silent for one day. That one day lasted 17 years.  Silence became his learning tool. During this time he earned a bachelors, masters degree, and a doctorate.

In an interview Dr. Frances gives us his evolved definition of environment. "I thought environment was about human-made ugliness and pollution and endangered species but I started to realize that environment was really much more than that. That it involved human rights and civil rights and economic equity and how we treat each other when we meet each other."

Courtesy of www.planetwalker.org

I have plenty more thinking to do on silence, but John Frances is a remarkable environmentalist and leader to keep an eye on. It is the courageous leader who recognizes and acts on truth. Sometimes this requires we speak up, other times it requires we remain silent until we know our own heart and can walk in peace, aligning ourselves perfectly with the pulsating rhythm of our people. At about that point it seems we will thrive in our shared environment.