From the Editor
All of life and nature is cyclical and seasonal. We move through life interconnected to each other and the Earth. Reflecting on the Earth’s natural patterns—the ebb and flow of the ocean tides; agricultural seasons of planting, growth, and harvest; the cycle of metamorphosis and the phases of the moon. We, as persons of faith, cannot separate ourselves from our being, Creator, and creation. As co-creators with God, and inhabitants of this planet, our lives are innately incarnational and interconnected. In other words, in every season of our lives, we experience births, deaths, and resurrections repeating the Earth’s natural seasons. This issue of A Matter of Spirit is titled “Seasons of Justice,” as our lives mirror the natural seasons and cycles of the Earth, as does justice work. Justice moves through seasons. Some seasons, like summer and spring, are ripe with growing and planting. In other seasons, justice work slows down and feels dormant like winter or fall. When justice work slows, that is the time to go inward, taking the time to learn, listen, and prepare for the next season. Each season of our lives in faith-filled justice work leads us to opportunities for growth, renewal, and replanting. Each article of this issue, written by four bold climate activists, represents a different season. With the growing climate crisis, there is no better time to connect ourselves with the Earth, the sacred soil beneath our feet, the air that fills our lungs, and the water that sustains us than in this season of justice. May this issue of A Matter of Spirit challenge and inspire us to connect with nature bringing about new growth and change, uprooting weeds of injustice, and harvesting a sustainable life for the next generation. Samantha Yanity 2
S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • N O. 13 4
The art on the cover and on p. 2, 4, and 14 are from Molly Costello’s Art for Community web page in which some of the images are available for public use “to support the movement for abolition, to challenge the culture of white supremacy and to help imagine a world beyond capitalism.” Note: All of the articles begin with season introductions written by the editor.