Elbows linked
Strengthening the ties that bind us
Hello Imagining Change readers,
How are you holding up?
According the reader stats, 44% of you live in Canada, 39% of you live in the US, and 17% of you live other countries around the world. It is a weird and unsettled time to live in the US, and to live in Canada, like most of you do. Really, let’s just say it’s a wild ride globally right now, with a surge in authoritarianism and a swell of greed that seems intent on destroying life, human and non-human, at the expense of our planet’s future.
There are so many stories to tell of solidarity, of community action, of people making hard decisions out of love to take risks for human rights and dignity. I know there are many examples of courage right now, yet we hear so few of these stories outside of our own bubbles and tailored algorithms.
Here in the Canada where I live, the rallying cry of “Elbows up!”, drawn from hockey, is pulling together people across the country in spirit of solidarity and resistance to American aggression. Imagine if our shared rallying cry, for people concerned about each other and the planet that is our shared home, was “Elbows linked.” To express that we are connected and interdependent as people who dream of a flourishing world for all, that we are people who stand up for each other as neighbours and strangers of good will around the world. We can be a web of solidarity through our relationships to each other, which we need to tend more than ever.
Who has to find a way to be connected to whom?
This question posed by academic and peace practitioner John Paul Lederach in this chapter from his book The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace has been echoing in my head lately. And along with that, who already is connected to whom? Who am I connected to, not just in my own community and country but across borders as well? We know that hearing stories, real people’s experiences, the words from people we know and trust, can make all the difference in helping us to understand new perspectives and be moved to action. Family ties, former colleagues and classmates, old neighbours who moved away…what might it look like for all of us to reach out in care to each other right now, to check in, to ask each other what you’re hearing, to share how you’re affected, and what people around you are doing to cope. To say to each other our hopes and fears for this time in complex ways that don’t make easy sound bites or social media posts.
So please do reach out. Comment on this post with a story about how these events are affecting you, or someone in your community. Check in, especially across borders, on someone you know to see what life is like right now. Let’s build and strengthen this web of connection, make visible the ties that have been invisible, and link our elbows together so that no one is left behind.
- Leah RK
If you’re in the southern Ontario area, mark your calendar for the 2025 Beyond Binaries annual conference happening May 24th, put on by the good folks at PiE (Pastors in Exile). PiE is a progressive and affirming community-based ministry that seeks to empower young adults as they explore and deepen the spiritual meaning of their lives, world, work and activism. At PiE, young adults come together to live out Jesus’ teachings of radical love, peacebuilding, and social justice, and to care for the Earth God loves.
It is more important than ever for faith communities, and leaders like pastors, elders, Sunday school teachers, church council members and youth mentors to take part in events like Beyond Binaries and commit to ongoing learning and creating cultures of affirmation, safety and belonging inside and outside of faith communities.
And a final note - thank you to everyone who has written reviews and given rating stars for Tending Tomorrow. Reviews on Goodreads, StoryGraph, in magazines and journals are so vital for connecting the book to the right readers. It really makes a difference.
I was delighted to see a recent review in the Conrad Grebel Review journal by Cheryl Woelk, Education Director, Collective Joy Consulting, Seoul, South Korea.
“Tending Tomorrow offers a message of hope that refuses to deny reality or downplay the crises we face, but gives us a way through these crises together.”
You can read the whole review here, on pages 245-246 of the PDF issue.
Feeling the roots of reciprocity. The Anabaptist traditions (and my heritage within those cultures) of pacifism and separation of church and state… have always made me acknowledge my global connection with all living beings.
I really like Elbows linked. Reaching out/connecting with others is so important. We really do need to strengthen connections that offer hope, resiliency and what we truly value. Shalom!
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