Another Path Opens?

More and more a possible path to justice for all genders, in the Church, in the world, becomes clearer to me:

We must convince each other – and especially those in hierarchies and patriarchies everywhere – to act with the utmost urgency to restore, renew, and respect the endangered natural world. For as they – we – perceive and embrace the sacredness within all the life surrounding us and our intimate connection to it, a profound transformation of the concept of dominance and domination can occur. And then all of life, including all genders now finally fully valued, can be free to minister, to bless and be blessed.

Heady words those when maybe a more humble expression will do. Consider these “Reflections of a Tewa Woman – Beata Tsosie-Pena”:

I am from the Winter People, and I am Badger clan…
 
We were never meant to dominate life, but to take care of all our relatives with gratitude and good will. This includes our plant relatives, our waters, the animals, the insects, the soil microbes, and even stone, which hold great energy…
 
There is a direct connection to environmental violence perpetrated against mother Earth and the violence enacted upon women, girls, and other genders. Women and girls are the first to feel the impacts of climate change when it comes to the devastation of super storms, long-term drought, and relocation due to sea level rise.
 
Women’s bodies are more susceptible to contamination, and exposure to toxicity is only increasing. There are many studies of toxicity found in breast milk and the implications for future generations. Mohawk midwife, Katsi Cook, teaches us about “woman as the first environment.” It is known amongst Native populations that our health and wellness are very much dependent on the health and wholeness of our surroundings. One cannot be separated from the other.
 
When I was pregnant with my daughters, all of their ova were developing within them with the potential for reproduction. In my pregnant state, three generations were being held all at once. This is true for all diverse cultures and another reason why we must protect those most vulnerable in our communities. We must work to ensure the health of our lands, air, and waters, so that this memory held within the cells of our seeds and genetic memory can continue to inform our journey as spiritual human beings.
 
This journey is awakening us to a time of healing, a time that will right the wrongs that are so apparent. To do nothing is sealing our destructive end and is a path that is no longer an option. We must at least try. Our spiritual evolution awaits our higher selves, and can be nurtured alongside our reclamation of meaningful relationships to all of creation. To all my relations reading this, I urge you to listen deeply to the struggle and voices of global, Indigenous communities who are currently putting their lives on the line to protect what they hold as sacred. That you open yourselves mind, heart, and spirit to the healing that happens when we love and respect water as the source of all life, how it will ultimately lead to loving and respecting ourselves and each other, and that it will give you the strength to take actions as a fellow “protector,” one in harmony with all life and creation.

Isn’t this perhaps the path we need to be pursuing, not only to renew and re-create our Church, but the world itself? And in this case, as it should be, a wise woman is leading the way.