Category Archives: environmental activism

Drawn Deeper into Forest: the Healing Power of Trees

Posted on September 5, 2025 by friendmarcelle

A story of being drawn by a tree, and then a cluster of trees and a remnant of forest to find greater grounding, wholeness, and healing in nature. And hearing the call of nature to preserve our endangered forests. Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Following a Leading, healing, Living Through Crisis and Climate Change, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Joanna Macy: A Life Dedicated to Healing the World

Posted on August 10, 2025 by friendmarcelle

Joanna Macy, a vibrant teacher and guide, passed away at 96, having profoundly influenced many through The Work That Reconnects. Her life encompassed a journey from exploring Christian ministry to embracing Buddhism and environmental activism, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the living world, and teaching that collectively experiencing our grief for the destruction of living systems can free us to take action on behalf of the world. Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Facing Life with Faith, Living Through Crisis and Climate Change, spiritual practices, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Nature’s Voice in The Nutmeg’s Curse: A Call for Planetary Healing

Posted on April 21, 2025 by friendmarcelle

In The Nutmeg’s Curse, Amitav Ghosh traces the roots of the climate crisis back to colonial exploitation of land and people, starting with the 17th-century Dutch takeover of the Banda Islands. He calls for a profound reconnection with the Earth, advocating for Indigenous and other spiritual perspectives that recognize the living nature of our planet. Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Living Through Crisis and Climate Change, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Hand Across the Ocean

Posted on September 18, 2022 by friendmarcelle

I’m grieving the death of my brilliant young friend Rachel, a Quaker climate specialist and university teacher who has died suddenly. I met Rachel almost twenty years ago when she was the young Friend sent by Britain Yearly Meeting (Quakers) … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Facing Life with Faith, Following a Leading, Quaker Faith Today | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Earth Day S.O.S.

Posted on April 27, 2022 by friendmarcelle

On a lovely spring day, Earth Day, we drove forty minutes from our home in Chester, one of the poorest cities in Pennsylvania, to the headquarters of Vanguard, a company that manages more than $7 trillion in financial assets. In … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Facing Life with Faith, Quaker Faith Today | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Deep and Going Deeper

Posted on January 1, 2022 by friendmarcelle

In the final lines of his book Deep, journalist James Nestor ponders the mystery of the human being and asks, “What are we?” It is a question, he says, that he asks with every breath, the question that drove his … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Prayer of the World: A Rainbow Psalm

Posted on November 13, 2021 by friendmarcelle

Each time I’ve seen the Prayer of the World, I’ve felt shaken out of a certain dull habituation with this world to see more clearly God’s awesome handiwork. Each time it has been breathtaking to recognize more clearly the wisdom and healing power present in Creation. The world is alive to its sacred source and it is calling us to wake up to the sacredness of our own nature and to our interconnection with Spirit and with all created things. Its message for humanity is an urgent one, calling us to awaken. Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, Contemplative spirituality, environmental activism, prayer, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Within the Vast Wholeness

Posted on September 1, 2020 by friendmarcelle

Three weeks in the Shenandoah Valley helped me settle better into my place on this wide Earth. It was my first trip since the pandemic began. Lack of other recent travel perhaps helped me open more fully to the awesome … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Facing Life with Faith, Living in a Time of Pandemic, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Something Grew Wild in Our Backyard

Posted on November 27, 2019 by friendmarcelle

Something wild and amazing happened in our backyard this summer.  Four little butternut squash plants, started from seeds stuck in a bit of dirt, grew wild at the back of our yard, beside the garage.  Surprised and amused at how … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Stories that Heal | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Choose Life: the Global Climate Strike

Posted on September 26, 2019 by friendmarcelle

When I arrived at the Sept 20, 2019 Global Climate Strike, my first sight of the crowd lifted my spirits in a way I hadn’t expected.  All the images of the planet, most on handmade signs, made me realize that … Continue reading →

Posted in All of Life is Sacred, environmental activism, Facing Life with Faith, Quaker Faith Today, Working for Peace and Justice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments