Polaris, watercolor by Catie Faryl, 2009
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. And now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known . . . . . . . .”
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
1 Corinthians 13, verse 11 and 13
This quotation returned to my attention in July 2009 while pondering my years of work with environmental, social and political issues. I was questioning the human ability to see what is actually real and how often we think we know the right paths to take, but are often disoriented and become lost or disillusioned. It seemed to me, that summer of 2009, we were at a crossroad or in a precarious balance – at the tipping point of seeing what could be done to stave off and heal the consequences of human-caused damage to the planet.
Creating art is a shamanistic duty and tradition that our culture must reclaim. An artist guide’s role is to visit the spirit world and the future to bring back positive messages, symbols, dreams and goals, remedies and “cures” for the tribe. In the summer of 2009, I observed the apathy, cynicism and inaction reflected in some people’s cavalier statements that “huge population die-offs were meant to be” or that “our human civilization either can’t pass or is undeserving of passing this evolutionary hurdle” and I could not let those beliefs go unchallenged.
Human beings, in my view, are noble creatures. We can embrace our role as Stewards of the Planet and look deep into our collective conscious to find answers to uphold the best future for all sentient beings and Mother Earth. We can think and act locally and sow seeds not of our differences but cultivate gardens where all can grow in peace and prosperity. Like nature’s bounty, love needs little tending in hearts that are willing and in minds that dare to imagine, not despair. Our energy can be gathered to see clearly and do the work that must be done.
“So let abide these three: faith, hope and charity.” We have seen things through a green but cloudy glass – confusing, disturbing, inconclusive – and now we are ready to move forward with courage in illuminated passages through these interesting times.
Catie Faryl
January 2012
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