In Praise of the Earth: An Earth Month Call for Photographs
“In the face of impermanence and loss, it takes courage to love the things of this world and to believe that praising them is our noblest calling.” – Joanna Macy
In Praise of the Earth: An Earth Month Call for Photographs
As we face unprecedented ecological devastation, many of us feel hopeless and overwhelmed, especially if we are sensitive, empathetic, and loving people. While we long to make a difference, it's hard to imagine that our gifts are enough.
But what if the climate crisis is actually a crisis of intimacy? This perspective changes everything. Now, our sensitivity, empathy, and capacity for connection becomes our most potent gifts for reimagining and transforming our relationships.
When practiced well, photography can become a phenomenal tool for awakening love. Photography, after all, is a medium of relationship where images are made in direct contact with the breathing earth. In today’s troubled world, this contact can be gloriously inspiring and also heartbreaking. What can photography teach us about love in the face of impermanence and loss? Is Joanna Macy right, is praise our noblest calling? How does photography inspire you to praise.
In celebration of Kinship and community, we will be observing Earth Month by offering prompts on Kinship Circle that encourage us to contemplate this glorious and troubled planet.
The three prompts we will be posting are adapted from Joanna Macy and Molly Brown’s book Coming Back to Life. Together they introduce a powerful process called Open Sentences. Designed as a structure for spontaneous expression, it is usually practiced in listening circles where partners ask each other questions and invite open verbal response. For this one-month call, we will be responding with photographs. We are especially interested in how images can speak directly to your emotional experiences. Of course, feel free to share your thoughts and reflections as well.
Join the call on Kinship Circle.
