Dear Common Ground Friends,
Our hearts go out to all of our immigrant neighbors here in the Twin Cities and those around the country experiencing fear, violence, and profound disruption in their lives. We also want to acknowledge all of you who are doing your fearless best to bring your spiritual practice into this messy world of ours.
Things are not okay and it is like this now. Let’s keep remembering that it makes a difference whenever we meet the moment with a wise, tender, and stable presence. Sincere practice provides for us the confidence that how we show up matters. This is how we transform our hearts and how we support healing in and around us.
Given the hate, confusion and fixed views that are moving these days, it might be helpful to remind ourselves that we can take refuge in the Divine Abodes – the four beautiful qualities of love: goodwill (metta), compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. The refuge of love is developed by learning to recognize the so-called ‘near enemies’– qualities of our heart that masquerade as wholesome expressions of love but are in fact a cause for more stress and disconnection. Attachment, for instance, is the near enemy of good will, and what appears like compassion may actually be pity or despair. Appreciative joy is lost when we are consumed in exuberance, and indifference may pose as equanimity. A heart free of ill-will is a powerful force for transformation, a protection from fear, and a grounding for wise action. Even with all that is activating, we can aspire to refrain from adding more fuel to the fires of greed, hatred and delusion swirling around us. Drop by drop, let us together set healing and peace in motion, in our hearts and in our world.
We want you to know that in this moment of heavy ICE presence in our neighborhoods, Common Ground has increased safety protocols in our building so that we are doing what we can to care for our immigrant community members and everyone who walks through the door. We will likely continue to refine these as local conditions change.
Wishes for peace and healing all around,
Mark Nunberg and Shelly Graf
Co-Guiding Teachers
- SAVE THE DATE: January 23 - Common Ground will be participating in a statewide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Truth and Freedom. Our schedule for the day will be announced soon both in our weekly email and on our calendar
- SAVE THE DATE: January 24, 6:30-8:30pm - Join us online or in person for a Community Conversation led by Mark and Shelly about how we are practicing in this social and political moment
- If you would like to be added to Common Ground's google group for socially/politically engaged practitioners, please mark your interest here
For people looking for ways to volunteer or otherwise support local immigrant families you may wish to connect with these organizations for ideas:
For people looking for ways to volunteer or otherwise support local immigrant families you may wish to connect with these organizations for ideas:
CAIR Minnesota
Halal Food Drive | Ayada Leads
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Isaiah MN
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee
Unidos MN
Defend The 612