8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS THINK ABOUT IT Sharing the commons How to discover the commons and share your findings is the quest of a lifetime. Fortunately we have many mentors and comrades in this struggle. Rev. Lucius Walker is one of mine, even after his death on Labor Day in 2010. As one of the ancestors, his presence can be felt by all those who have a relationship with him. He and Martin Luther King are in my pantheon of spiritual friends who point the way to the greatest of all commons, the unconditional love which we sing about in such songs as “Solidarity Forever.” Lucius founded “Pastors For Peace” from a hospital bed in Nicaragua as part of his healing from a bullet wound he got from the contra terrorists, who got weapons and money from the Reagan administration. “I know exactly who paid for that bullet,” said Lucius, who then founded PFP. Right now they are promoting a webinar on the case South Africa is bringing to the International Criminal Court of Justice which charges Israel with genocide in Palestine. Their first projects were caravans of humanitarian aid to victims of U.S. foreign policy, beginning with Nicaraugua, El Salvador, Guatemala, then Cuba and Chiapas, Mexico. KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 Martin and Lucius knew about each other but never met because they were busy working on different fronts of the same struggle for peace and freedom. On MLK Day in both 2023 and 2024, folks met at the Ann Arbor Commons to share our dreams of freedom, peace and justice. Due to the cold this year we met in the library which is always kin to the commons. We share in the transformation of our lives as we learn who we are in our everyday lives as citizens of a challenging experiment in democracy. When we discover our natural flow, we will participate in creating the democracy that is life-friendly. When we hold the truth to be self-evident we take the leap of faith that makes reality a workable situation. We can promote the truth of unconditional love with mindfulness training. After my 40 years in this process I regularly start over, as masters of the path point out something such as distinguishing attention from awareness as we work with the breath as an object of meditation. Groundcover is working with Karuna Buddhist Center to do a mindfulness workshop which I hope grows into a regular event as people develop some ability to experience authenticity in everyday life. “Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free” is the song now playing in my mind. Look at the open house for Karuna and dance party for Groundcover, details in this issue on page 6 and 12, respectively. The world can easily be experienced as chaotic and overwhelming. A simple breath can make a big difference and I use this method many times everyday. Got writer’s block? Take a breath and see what arises. Learn discriminating awareness for the appearances in the theater of your mind. Some are to be cultivated, others composted on the spot. Practice makes perfect as Tom Stephens demonstrates in his karate classes and street smarts at the peace vigils on Fridays, 5:30 p.m. at Liberty and Fifth. The convergence we are in is heading for a critical mass as we stay focused on simple discipline and persevere. If you are in the Michigan Union, look for the MLK quote in the first floor lobby. “Students have a responsibility to participate in the movement.” Intellectual work is important. Scholar Timothy Snyder has specialized on the Holocaust and mass killings with a focus on Eastern Europe. His book, ”The Road To Unfreedom,” is worthy of critical reflection as we bring past, present and future into our experience of the history we are making. “All the world’s a stage.” My own local and global activity has moved from Cuba to Brazil. The Cuban diaspora includes family connections in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and an invitation to live there with Daniela and Santiago Alberto is the latest episode of my life adventure. Everything is a step at a time and subject to change with the next step as the dance of authenticity plays on. We practice breathing together from earth to sky wherever we are. Michigan is in our heart with Cuba and now Brazil as we make our home on this earth. May all beings benefit. JANUARY 26, 2024
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