History in the Making

It's not everyday that someone gets to witness history in the making. I am still revelling in the excitement of it all...the investiture of the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. And it was not your every day, run-of-the-mill type of investiture. But the investiture of the first ever WOMAN presiding bishop!

I was there at the National Cathedral in D.C. yesterday. Sitting about 10 rows back from the altar at the crossing on the south side. The entire service was indictative of her gentle pastoral, inclusive and reconciling presence.

To read her homily click here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78703_79214_ENG_HTM.htmHTM.htm

To see a video of the entire 2-hour investiture click here: Video of the Investiture Service, broadband (Windows Media 9)

In all one's senses, the service was most pleasing and engaging in beauty, holiness and the grace of the Spirit. But the most moving part for me was witnessing the two-plus hours after the service that the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal church's 26th Presiding Bishop, stood at the baptismal fount and was available to any and all who wanted to greet her and/or receive a blessing. As wonderful as her homily was, words will never equal that simple and humble act -- a giving of presence and service imitative of Jesus.

I think I'll keep writing...

It's been almost six months since my last post. My life gets so busy that I have such little time available to be able to sit down and write. Over the past several months, I'd considered deleting this blog since I wasn't posting anymore. I just hadn't had time to get around to doing so! Then, last Wednesday I received a beautiful comment from someone who had stumbled onto this blog. I'd set things up so comments would be emailed to me. I haven't been to this site since the last time I posted. But I'm here now because of five little words of encouragment..."I hope you'll keep writing!"

:-)

Foreground and Background

I've been very critical of myself lately. I think I get in that spiral when I'm feeling overly criticized and start comparing myself to others who seem so much more whatever (fill in the blank) than I.

My general coping strategy is to withdraw into myself. Speak little. I'm working hard this week to remain present in the community. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. But the self-judging continues in the background of my life. ("you're a downer." "you're immature." "you don't deserve..." "of course she is liked better than you. She is... and you aren't... She does all this...")

I hate times like these. It clouds all the good things that are going on in my life in the foreground. For example, our program this past weekend was a huge success! I received over-all good general feed-back about the food presentations I did on Saturday. And the participants all mentioned during the wrap-up session of desires to change the way they've been relating and viewing food and their food choices. And I'm hopeful about the future and future programs!

Evangelical Marketing

First, here's an update...
The cast came off yesterday! yea!
I'm in a walking boot and start P.T. today. oooowwwww!

Disclaimer: If you are fundamental/evangelical, this post is not about you personally. I grew up in a strong fundament/evangelical setting. This post is about me waking up and seeing how empty this form of faith left me, and coming to know God out of any box humans use in order to define, explain (etc.) God. It's about expressions in which I find a god to be biased, judgmental, exclusionary, patriarchal, etc. An expression where I do not experience love and compassion and unity. It's about me shedding old skin and putting on more inclusive, compassionate, non-patriarchal, non-heirarchal expressions of God.

I'm going through a major transition as far as my spiritual life is concerned. There are things about the fundamental/evangelical side of christianity that really bother me.

I asked one of the sisters, "How can you stay a christian with the basic tenets loudly professed by the religious Right?"

She responded, "Who says they are the ones that get to define what christianity is and how it is expressed?"

Good point.

The latest roo-ha-ha by the Christian Right is over the DaVinci Code movie. Did you hear the one about director Ron Howard making the movie in order to subvert christianity?

Pleeeease! My response to that: "I suppose he made the movie because he knew Americans were enthralled with the story and it would bring a nice profit at the box office! I do not think he is a pawn of Satan."

Oh...And here's a bit of interesting information: LITTLETON, Colo. : "Evangelical churches across the nation are launching an aggressive effort to save souls by talking about a fictional murder mystery that many regard as blasphemous. Pastors are setting out doughnuts and sandwiches and inviting non-Christians to come discuss "The Da Vinci Code" bestseller. They're creating hip marketing campaigns to draw nonbelievers to sermons about the thriller. They're even giving away free iPods loaded with their commentary on the novel."

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with using "marketing campaigns" in the name of God and encouraging and supporting American Corporations and spending habits?

These things make me roll my eyes, grimace and sigh all at the same time.

Did you know there's a mega-church in Dallas that advertises one of its ministries as The Bomb Squad? It "consists of teenagers on a mission of warfare against the strongholds of Satan against all youth. The Bomb Squad Mission sends them to Malls and neighborhoods dropping the BOMB of the WORD of GOD to all who will hear and receive. After the bomb is dropped, they are off to the next Mission."

This morning during our Bible (Wisdom) Study.
One of the sisters said: "Since when does God need us to do all this defending?"
Finally, there's a sane thought.
(i.e. as if the DaVinci Code is really somehow a threat to God's existence?)

I wonder sometimes if anyone who is on that "war path" for God has stopped to look outside themselves and see the presence God in all -- especially in the created world. I personally don't find God in haggling over a book and movie and receiving a free iPod.

What do mega-churches and corporations have in common?

Advertising.

OK...this is the end of my rant against the insanity of some sects of christianity. (Yes, my judgment and opinion)
I don't buy into it anymore. Though I admit, I once did!
I moved out of TX, I've aged, my faith is maturing. Fundamental/Evangelicals would say I've strayed. Everyone's entitled their own opinions.

When the Body Can No Longer Support Life

There were two deaths of persons either close to the community or close to one of the sisters last week. Two funerals to attend this week, one on Wednesday the other on Thursday. Then to top this off, one of our sisters found out 3 weeks later about the passing of her god-father.

The death of someone close to us, seems to bring into our conscious awareness our own fragile existence and impermanence.

In Dallas I took an apologetics and a pastoral care class under Will Spong (the brother of the former Bp. of Newark, NJ -- Bp. John Shelby Spong)

Will was also a priest. Like Andrew he lived under the shadow of his more famous brother. But he was an amazing man. Will's Bio

I don't remember which class it was, but in one of the two classes Will asked us: "What caused Jesus' death?" Answers flew around the room: "He was a threat to the established order. In a way he caused his own death by the choices he made." "He was setup by the chief priests, the Jews, Pilot and sentenced to crucifixion." "Being crucified."

None of these answers satisfied Will and he pressed us further.

Finally I said, "He died from asphyxiation."

BINGO! That was the answer he was looking for, the specific cause of death.

Asphyxiation was the eventual cause of death for someone hanging on a cross. It's a slow death. When your arms are outstretched and over your head, your lungs are unable to function properly. (If you'd like to try it, see how long you can hold your arms outstretched and slightly above your head. In five minutes or less you'll be agony.) That's why they nailed the feet or put them on a platform. The instinct to live caused the crucified to push up so they could breathe again. Talk about cruel. Sometimes they could live for days until their strength finally gave out and they could no longer push themselves up, and they suffocated.

But I've strayed from my original reason for writing this post. There was something I got from that course that will be with me the rest of my life. It is what finally helped me get over my fears of death (whether my own or someone close to me).

Will told us: "Death is what happens when the body can no longer support life."

It was such a revelation in my life. This was the first time I'd ever heard someone talk about death as something other than "an ending to/of life." Talk about finding comfort in that! When my mother died from cancer later the year, Will's words helped me be with her, and totally present to her, and comfort her through her last week.

Also one of Will's favorite quotes was from the great novelist, Nikos Kazantzakis—his novel Zorba the Greek—

’Life is what you do when you’re waiting to die,’

I make no claims as to what happens to life after that moment. I do not profess to know with certainty. But this I do know...

I'm doing life while waiting to die. And I find comfort in understanding that when death comes it will not be an end of life, it will only be my body no longer able to sustain my life.

Judged

I've been judged; and over and again, each day, I am found to be lacking in one way or another.

The Brave, Foolish, Peeking Fish

A parable, allegory -- more correctly put, an apologue. The origin and concept belong to Sr. Miriam MacGillis (links to an interview) founder of Genesis Farm. Here's another interview. I'm borrowing and expounding to share concepts influencing me at this time in my spiritual journey...

It's like fish in a lake. Their entire world view is only what lies below the waterline. Light shines "down" from the "sky" in patterned intervals. There are other fish similar in appearance yet with subtle differences in size, coloring, habitat, diets, communities and ways of interacting in their environment. There are also completely different life forms -- the whole making up an interacting eco-system. The small community the hero of our story lives in teaches its young, from birth, there is no other reality beyond what they experience and understand in their closed-system world.

But one day a brave, foolish fish decides to do something courageous and risks to see what, if anything, might be beyond the boundaries of the existence it knows. Swimming to the water's surface, pushing an eye just above the waterline it takes a peek.

What it sees is too unfathomable, too magnificent, too overwhelming to take in but for a second. The fish quickly dunks back below the water's surface, frightened by what it had seen. It was foreign and contrary to all the teachings. It swam back to the security of what's always been known and believed. The brave, foolish fish remained silent about its experience. No one would believe anyway. They'd judge it as simply an illusion, over-active imagination or fantasy. Yes, it's best to forget the whole thing and continue life as "normal"... (to be continued)

What did the fish see?

creed

"Those who have most power and wealth
treat the planet as a thing to be possessed,
to be used and abused according to their own dictates.
But the planet is a living organism*,
a Great Spiritual Integrity.

To violate this Integrity
is certain to cull forth disaster
since each and every one of us
is an inherent part
of this very organism.

All attempts to control the world
can only lead to its decimation
and to our own demise
since we are an inseparable part
of what we are senselessly trying to coerce.

Any attempt to possess the world
can only lead to its loss
and to our own dissolution
since we are an instrinsic part
of what we are foolishly trying to possess.

The world's pulse is our pulse.
The world's rhythms are our rhythms.
To treat our planet with care, moderation and love
is to be in synchrony with ourselves
and to live in the Great Integrity."

*(emphases mine)

Now here's a creed I could recite with all my heart, soul and being.

Can you guess when it was written and by whom (without googling)?

If you wanted to "Christianize" the last phrase (not that I feel a need to), it would be...
"is to live in God and God in us."
(There's a bit of scriptural truth)

20 Things That Make Me Smile

I've added a P.S. for those that have already seen this post once
:-)

1) Simon's love for playing 'Rock'

2) Simon when he lies on the floor belly up doing the 'see me!' wiggle

3) Simon when he's sleeping in a puppy-cute position

4) a good pun

5) bird song at sunrise

6) a student greeting me in the hallway at the school

7) Sr. CJ in her optional 'angel' nun headgear

8) all my sisters' senses of humor (necessary to survive life in community)

9) Simon when he (almost daily) bolts out the door to greet the UPS driver (who gives him a cookie)

10) the full moon, when she follows me wherever I go.

11) having my scalp massaged

12) Simon, when he slowly and gently 'sneaks' up in the one-foot space between two people on the couch, then curling his body up in the space and putting his head on a lap

13) when my friend gives a caring touch on my shoulder/back as she's passing by behind me

14) seeing my best NY friend's face, and my sisters who live in the city, and being in their presence after a long absence.

15) watching squirrels chase each other

16) newborn and young of all species

17) smiley faces, smiling faces

18) preparing a fire outside with only nature-collected items and successfully lighting it with just one match

19) snow -- it's still a wonder to this Texas girl

20) a sunrise -- and especially late morning sunshine after an early morning cloudy and dreary rain

How about you?

P.S...on 4/18

Sr. Claire Joy said I needed to "get a life" because one quarter of the things that make me smile had to do with Simon. Well...if you lived with Simon all the time you would experience this unusual companion and be smiling at all the things he does and ways about him.

But, in order to show I do have a life outside of Simon (I lump everything I said about him into one item, and I add the following list of five things that make me smile:

1) Ramona Quimby stories by Beverly Cleary
2) a crossword puzzle with a great theme (one of the neatest crosswords I ever worked was by (not just edited by) Will Schultz (sp?) where the letter 'e' was not used one single time in the puzzle. It was amazing!
3) going to the ballpark and seeing a baseball game live and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballpark" at the 7th inning stretch
4) piano music
5) old Gilda Radner skits

Not Always So Obvious

Ok..does this thought ever cross your mind?

"I would think it'd be obvious."

And, if I'm going to sit like a lump on a log and wait for someone to figure out how to be sensitive and compassionate and ask me, by god, I'm going to be sitting a long time not getting help.

Must I ask EVERY single morning..."Could you please help get me something to eat for breakfast?"

I don't know...I'd think if I was sitting in the kitchen at breakfast time with crutches in hand, twiddling my thumbs, that another coming into the kitchen might ask if I'd had breakfast yet and would like help. I haven't been able to get my own breakfast since having foot/ankle surgery last friday. I'm non-weight-bearing (crutches or wheel chair) for six weeks!

So...if you came into the kitchen and saw me sitting there (and it's the scheduled time for breakfast and I'm not eating anything), would you go about fixing yourself a bowl of cereal then sit down and begin eating, completely ignoring me, not saying a word? Or would you perhaps think to ask as you're pulling your cereal bowl out of the cabinet if I might want some as well?

Stubborn ass that I am at times...ok, too many times...I sat there to wait and see what would happen, and refused to ask for help.

"I am not going to ask. I shouldn't have to ask! I'd think it'd be obvious, unless you're so self-centered you think of nobody else but yourself and YOUR needs."

But she can't read my mind. And maybe she thinks I've already had breakfast or am not hungry. And even though if the roles were reversed I'd have the wherewithall to ask 'have you had breakfast yet,' that doesn't mean she has that skill.

My friend said I've been using situations like this to justify old tapes that I don't deserve to be taken care of when I need help (the message my mother clearly gave me, in ways I won't go into here).

My friend is wise. What a HUGE insight!

And, then, I'm also frustrated. I don't like having to be dependent on others, for the very reason that they may find helping me a burden, an inconvenience, irritating, an interruption in their life. It is so hard for me to ask for what I need. My mother trained me well not to ask.

My sisters are being lovingly patient as I go through this recovery process, both physically and emotionally.

Ugh...the next five weeks are sure to be agonizing growth opportunities. And I simply need to lighten up a bit on myself and others, and keep humor close at hand to see me through it. If you know a good joke, send it to me.

An Unexpected Opportunity

I woke up last week to a major computer melt down. At the time of writing, I'm still waiting to see if any data can be retrieved. This has turned into an opportunity to practice letting go.

Willing to lose everything: all my documents, Internet favorites, emails and addresses -- my only regret will be losing work important to the community. Quite surprisingly, what freedom I've felt!

I've become aware how often I choose to hold on to "stuff," that in the end leaves me a prisoner -- whether it's an ideology about the way things should be; a belief about myself, the world or God; a physical object; an attitude...…

It's not easy letting go. This particular situation was thrust upon me. Don't know if I'd ever consciously choose to let go in such a grand scale!

Being upset wouldn't bring the data back, so I've allowed myself to experience, rather than fight, the grief over the loss. This has opened my heart to release what I hold precious, and given me a willingness to be led in a new direction.

Thanks to my spiritual director, Ann, I have a helpful body meditation I practice in the times I do struggle to let go:

I hold both fists tight in front of my body, palms down, elbows against sides.
Next, I rotate fists, still clinched tight, towards the ceiling.
Then I relax the grasp just a little to allow space between the fingers and palms.
(If that's as far as I can go, that's okay. I allow space for God to enter the situation. It's like saying "I'm willing to be willing.")
When ready, I slowly begin to extend arms out and away from my body while opening fingers.

It's a vulnerable feeling at first, but in the end leads to peace, freedom and growth.

(Added note, March 24th...It's official, electrical spike completely wiped out hard drive. All data lost. And, yes, it was plugged into a surge protector. The day it happened we had several surges in a row. Guess it was just too much. Well, hope to have new hard drive and start fresh by next week.
P.S....If you're a friend, would you please send me an email so I'll have your address again? Thanks!)

Nothing but Sap, Fire and Love

Lift four gallons of sap (in a 5-gallon bucket).
Pour through filters into another bucket.
Lift this same four gallons of sap
and pour into the evaporator.
If the evaporator is full, pour into holding barrel.

By the end of a good run, we've usually lifted and poured three-times-over more than 100 gallons of sap.

It looks just like water yet has a wonderful flavor of sweetness.
And, that's all it is...water and minerals of the earth turned to sugar.

We add heat.

Lots of heat.

It boils all day and all night. The water is evaporated back into the atmosphere. It takes 24 hours to evaporate 100 gallons of sap into about 10 gallons that is then ready to be transferred into the finishing pan, where it is boiled down further until it becomes about 3 gallons of maple syrup.

If you take the syrup and heat to a certain temperature, remove and stir until the color changes, then pour into molds, it becomes maple candy. If you heat it further it will become a fine powdery substance - maple sugar.

We gather around the kitchen like kids entralled by the process that's happening before our eyes.

We are not doing this the high-volume factory way. We're in intimate communion with the sugar maple trees on the property, with the sap they give us. We collect by hand. Pour by hand. We're with the sap through the entire process. It's not just another bottle of maple syrup to us. It's something we've poured ourselves into, given up normal night's sleep to be with, allowed our bodies to ache from pouring gallons upon gallons of sap.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

The parents and children of the school who we've shared this process with are amazed that all it takes to make maple syrup is sap from the trees and a heat source -- nothing else is added.

Except when we make it there's one added ingredient...

Love.

Remember...

"Remember...
you are dust,
and unto dust
you shall return."

These are words we heard today as ashes were "imposed" on our foreheads -- an odd ritual when you stop to think about it. I looked up the word "impose."
To "impose" something is to apply or establish something as if by authority, or to push or force upon another; such as imposing a tax, or imposing one's will upon another.

It makes me wonder, exactly, who is imposing what onto whom. (Besides the obvious answer of the priest imposing ashes upon me.) I've been pondering this all day.

Then as I've been writing this entry, a thought came to me. (Perhaps an inspiration of the Spirit?) This is a day for me to impose upon myself, my mind, the remembrance of who I am and my place in the universe.

We not only come from the Earth, we are an intricate part of the Earth. I read once that everyone who ever lived upon earth is still here. There's a scientific explanation that Sr. Catherine Grace explains clearly. I can't remember the specifics, but it has to do with the fact that there are a set number of molecules or atoms (or something like that), and that number never changes. As people die or matter decomposes, those molecules are released, transformed and rebirthed into something new.

And all of this started with a very humble beginning 13.7 billion years ago.
So I would not be amiss in saying:

Remember...
you are stardust,
and unto stardust
you shall return.

Women Can Save the World

I've had a lot on my mind lately. It's taken me some time to sit down and write. One thing I've been wanting to write about is the war in Iraq. There's a new International movement being organized by Code Pink. Women from all of the world are standing up to say "NO to War!" For more info see this link:
http://www.womensaynotowar.org/

I was one of the early signers of the petition to be delivered to the White House March 8th. If truth be said, I don't really believe those sitting in government positions are going to let 500,000 or even a million signatures change what's happening in Iraq. It will be looked upon as an sentimental gesture by the women of the world but not given much credence.

There is a powerful video and song that cuts to the heart of the matter. Pictures of the occupation. Here's another link if you dare to meet the reality of war head-on. Warning, it is graphic at times. But there is nothing pleasing to the eyes when it comes to war. But we need to look into the eyes of the children of Iraq, the mothers and fathers. Ignoring their faces only allows us to keep pretending we have a right to do what's being done to them.
Turn on the sound of your computer before viewing video. Video and song start immediately upon clicking link.
http://nobravery.cf.huffintonpost.com/

This video was reason enough for me to not lose hope or quit my own peacemaking efforts.

Women have an incredible amount of power when we work together and stand up against the injustice's of patriarchal society. We just need to wake each other up, stand collectively and say "No more!" I invite you to join me. a

Scat

My posts tend to be a bit on the serious side. So I thought, for a change, I'd write about something a bit lighter...

...SCAT.

(You know, the naturalist's term for sh*t).

There seems to be a lot of it in my life these days.

And I don't mean metaphorically!

Sometimes for farm chores I hose-off and/or sweep the duck scat off the porch or patio. Since Simon isn't always walked by leash (his breed needs to run), I have to walk around the school grounds and pick up his scat. My work duties include keeping our guest quarters clean, so I'm often on my knees scrubbing toilets. The other day out in the woods I failed to look down as I was walking and stepped in a pellet pile (deer scat).

I can't help but wonder if there's some deep spiritual message trying to be conveyed to me.

Or, maybe it's just as simple as...

...shit happens.

Any thoughts???

Thoughts Matter

Sometimes when I begin meditation my body and mind go: "Oh, I know what this is," and settle down right away. Sometimes I'm inundated with thoughts. It's normal for thoughts to float in and out of awareness when meditating. Centering Prayer is a great technique for dealing with them.

I'm increasinly become more and more aware of how thoughts influence emotions. The other day I started thinking about someone and a situation in my past and I felt my shoulders tighten, teeth clench and a shot of adrenaline causing my heart to race -- anger. Less than 10 minutes later I was thinking about my soul sister and that should she go to seminary I will really miss her. And I signed deeply, my chest sank with a heavy feeling, and my eyes got a little misty -- I felt sadness. That lead me to thinking about my childhood and moving every six months to two years. How I never was able to establish any long-term friendships. And my head sank low and I turned inward as if going into a shell -- I was feeling lonely.

Good thing I was in my meditation chair! I think the Spirit must have tapped (okay, maybe whacked!) me on the head, because I finally "woke up" to what was going on and realized my changing thoughts were shifting my emotions around -- all within a 10 to 15 minute span!!

I had an image of popcorn in a pan of oil, each kernel representing a thought. As a thought "popped" into my mind, I'd have a reaction (feeling). You know how popcorn popping speeds up the longer the kernels sit in the hot oil? Well, so it was for me once I'd stepped on the thought/emotion train. Each thought (and accompanying emotion) was leading to another and another, faster and faster. Anyway, that gentle tap on the head by the Spirit helped me get off the emotion train. And with intention and purposeful focus I redirected my thoughts to Simon, who was lying on the couch nearby. I thought about how much love I feel for this wonderful creature. And quickly I was able to calm myself, take a deep breath and enter into meditation.

There was a time in my life when I was rarely consciously aware of my thoughts and would simply experience wave after wave of emotions. One of the benefits mediation has brought into my life is a greater awareness of thoughts so that I've been able to lessen the power they hold over my emotions.

Thoughts do affect emotions. Thoughts do matter.

For a deeper look about the spiritual impact of thoughts in our life, I recommend Thoughts Matter by Mary Margaret Funk, O.S.B.

Many Hands Make Light Work

There have been many changes in our house lately. One sister is away for 6 weeks. One sister moved back to the city. One sister from the city moved up here. One candidate left the order. We were a house of seven. Now we're a house of five.

Another change has been in our schedule. We've added "Farm Chores" for 30 minutes in the morning after meditation and before breakfast and morning prayer.

This silent work in the morning reminds me of something the oldest member of our community said to me one of the first days I arrived: "Many hands make light work."

It's quite true. It's unfortunate that we've become a society that views independence as something to strive for rather than interdependence. It's a very god-like attitude to have: "I don't need you. I can and will do this by myself." It's an attitude that's gotten us into a mess socially and enviornmentally.

Although I am someone who has chosen to live a different lifestyle than the majority of people in this world, I clearly understand the challenges our present day culture presents to us. I lived under the suppression of a society controlled by corporations instead of citizens for the first 38 years of my life. But then, through a calling from my heart and the deepest part of my soul, I made the decision to change the way I interacted with the world. In essence I was taking back my personal power, and choosing to live sustainably in cooperation with the earth, all of creation and my fellow human beings (a very God-loving and spiritual way to live).

It seems people in the religioius life are often misunderstood as to the "work" we do. Yes, we do come together three or four times a day to chant our prayers. But we also carry on our prayers while engaging in responsibilities normal to most families in today's society: accounting/bookkeeping, doing the laundry, cooking meals, visiting our elderly sister in the nursing home three times a week, cleaning house, cleaning guest rooms, yard work, farm work, minor house repairs and painting, teaching in the school or after school programs, continuing our education, then taking care of the too occassional things that break down or go wrong. Day before yesterday it was chopping up a tree that had fallen in a very windy and wet storm. The laundry list goes on.

When we share with individuals that every week we make our own bread, tortillas and crakers, as well as grow much of our own food and cook all our meals from scratch, they usually reply something as follows: "I wish I had time to do all that. But there's no time. And I have (fill in a number) kids."

My reply? Of course one person cannot do all that by themselves! But we have gotten away from being a society that lives in extended families and communities. We have isolated ourselves from each other, not even connecting with our neighbors next door or down the street.

But can you consider the possibility of families coming together and sharing the responsibilities of child care, growing food, cooking?

You don't have to join a religious community to do that.

Check out this intentional community in Ithaca, NY: http://www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us/

Continuing to try to get through life alone is as much a choice as choosing to live in community and in communion with all creation.

Many hands do make light work.