The Earthcare Gathering in October 2025 brought together many strands of concern. We explored different ways of responding to the crisis with love and concern. The cacophony of voices resulted in a vibrant but disparate feel. The hope was that we would be “braiding streams” of our Earthcare engagement. From a shared place of reverence, respect, grief, and care came many divergent responses. At the end of the gathering, there were individual challenges and individual journeys to make.
There are some parallels with Yearly Meeting 2026 when we will be challenged to focus on the strands of our Spirit-led community. We are asked to consider how we can handle conflict well in a way that “builds connections, nurtures community, and finds common ground.”
We are a community of strong individuals. We have common concerns and testimonies to uphold, but the strands of interest within our community are diverse. Braiding comes in many forms: for me, it is willow weaving. I match the strength of different willow rods, bend them around each other, and create a structure which is strong because of the flexibility of each part. My hand guides the rods; I feel the tension. When a stick is too brittle to bend, I reject it; strong sticks and flexible sticks need to work in harmony.
Weaving, braiding, connecting. These words are active, but in practice, the structure needs a guiding hand. Equality is integral to our community; perhaps guidance could come from outside.
One parable which I find helpful is Matthew 7:3-5
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
I want to ask how it is possible to take something out of your own eye when you can’t see because of it. In all humility, I want to ask the brother to rid me of the plank and then I can help him. Perhaps we should be looking beyond ourselves for help.
Bernadette Jordan