Living Love Through the Practice of Inclusion

Dear Ones, 

This month’s theme couldn’t be more timely!  In this moment, when diversity, equity, and inclusion policies are being demonized, I couldn’t be more pleased to get to reflect on “living love through the practice of inclusion” with you.  As an ecologist, I know that highly diverse ecosystems are more stable than those with low numbers of species.  The more kinds of things there are living in a place, the more roles that the ecosystem needs to function are filled.  And diversity leads to higher resilience too, because a high number of species increases the chances that some of them will adapt to change easily, which can help the system survive, including other species that might adapt more slowly. 

I believe this is also true in human systems – when we have a wide range of people making up a community, that community is stronger and more resilient.  Just like diverse ecosystems, diverse communities can function well because there are people who can fill all the roles.  And they’re more resilient because we each adapt to different kinds of changes in different ways, so each of us can take turns leading how we change so that we can all thrive.  The way we get to be more diverse is to practice inclusion.  That practice begins with our own hunger to feel part of something, and when we’re invited in.  It continues when we open the circles we’re part of to include others, stretching both our communities and our own hearts.  So the practice of inclusion is really the practice of welcoming those who will change us, toward the goal of helping us all thrive. 

Friends, there are many changes happening around us, and many people seeking hope in community.  May we continue to respond by building our strength and resilience through the practice of inclusion.

In faith and love, Karen

[January 29, 2025]