The Sacred Principle Project

 A few weeks ago, I participated in the Sacred People, Sacred Earth Global Multi-Faith Day for Climate Action. Hosted by GreenFaith International Network, I felt deeply aligned with the call to action , which begins:  We are united by a fundamental belief that all people, all living things, and the Earth are sacred. It goes on to say that we envision shared reverence, connectedness, flourishing life, just distribution, and healing for people and the planet. The set of demands are for political leaders and government, corporations and financial actors, religious institutions and individuals. From a place of faith and principles and universal values. I signed on and I signed up, aligned in this call.  My "action" was simple: an offering to Mother Earth. Based in the Andean tradition of ofrendas , this act of gratitude and reverence is a ceremony of relationship and interaction with the earth. Taking my Quechua manta to a pine-needle strewn spot in our favorite local park, my

My thought exploration is posited on The Sacred Principle - the tenet of respecting and revering all of nature and creation as sacred as a starting point.  But I have recently been engaged in conversations and reading that are pulling me to explore sacred principles -- those values and beliefs of Indigenous communities and world religions that have universal, timeless wisdom.  So here is a collection of some of those sets of beliefs and value systems that speak to me and feel interconnected. Included here without assigning priority, judgement or analysis.   Andean cosmovision In the Andes, the Inca had three laws: Ama sua. Ama llulla. Ama quella. Do not steal, Do not lie, Do not be lazy. Of course the cosmovision is much more complex, with the concepts of ayni (reciprocity) as a Golden Rule and ayllu (community) as an organizing principle. A deeply held belief of Andean people is that we are all children of Pachamama, Mother Nature, and owe her our deep respect and reverence. In the

 What would a food system based on the Sacred Principle look like? It may take many names, but the common approach would be that this food system would be built on values.  Four values ground this food system: relationship, reciprocity, respect, and reverence.  In relationship, we would understand that we are interconnected and interdependent with the food we eat. We would be in deep relationship with the land. We would honor our relationship with water - rain, streams, catchment systems. We would be in right relations with our neighbors, practicing trade as mutual aid, community, circular economy, to fulfill needs and flourish together. The principle of relationship would shift us from the center of control and domination to one of fluidity and interconnection in a web of relations.  The type of relationship is one rooted in reciprocity. A mutual give and take, offering and accepting. The land is generous, and provides for us abundantly. And we must care for the land. Stewardship woul