by Chelsea MacMillan
A few months ago, a group of us from Brooklyn Center for Sacred Activism (BCSA) got to see Naomi Klein and Michelle Alexander in conversation. One of the first questions that Michelle asked Naomi was, "Do you consider yourself a revolutionary?" Naomi's response was more humble than you'd expect from someone who's written as many bestsellers and challenged neoliberalism, climate injustice, and the oppressive forces of globalization as much as she has. She hesitated. To call herself a revolutionary would require there being a revolution for her to be a part of.
Something in this resonated with me. I, too, feel like a revolutionary who has been waiting for a revolution for a long time. I know lots of people who feel the same way. Maybe some of us thought it would happen with Occupy Wall St., maybe it would happen with Bernie.
After the 2016 election, our living room at BCSA was full of people who were hungry to engage in social change in a different way. Whether we were veteran activists who needed a place to rest and commune after marching in the streets or spiritual seekers ready to take action but not quite sure how, the way we felt called to engage in this historic moment felt different from other revolutionary moments. We wanted to feel more connected and less alone, more nourished and less burned out.
It turns out that revolution is no longer the big dramatic and fiery thing of the past. This revolution is slower, more like water that spreads and sinks and nourishes the ground. This revolution is happening moment by moment.
It turns out, this revolution is in our living room.
Sharing resources, living simply, giving attention to our relationships to each other, taking care of community - all of this flies in the face of a world that not only screams at us to consume more and to achieve more but also a world that is so violent and so chaotic. Living in community is one of the most radical things we can do.
As BCSA looks for a larger space to house more sacred activists, strengthen and deepen our Sunday gatherings as well as other programming on spirituality and social justice, and establish a rhythm of life together, it is clear that we are called to be in deeper relationship with other communities. It’s time for us to connect with other people around the country who are hosting the revolution in their own living rooms, in their gardens, around their dining room tables. I want to find out more about how these groups co-create life together. How are resources shared? How do they honor the connection to the earth? What’s the common purpose holding them together?
And in return, I can share what we’re learning and practicing at the Brooklyn Center for Sacred Activism - how to engage in social transformation with more creativity and resilience, how to create community, how to discern our unique and collective callings as sacred activists.
And so, this summer, as I approach my 31st birthday and BCSA steps into its next phase, I am embarking on pilgrimage - a road trip, to be exact - around the country to visit these communities.
I need your help to make this journey possible.
I need to raise $5000 by June 20 — 31 days before my 31st birthday on July 20! Will you help me by donating $31, $131, $231, or more to my gofundme campaign? Any contribution will help me immensely - even $5! Your contribution will go toward food, gas, and other travel expenses as well as to help seed the expansion of the Brooklyn Center for Sacred Activism.
If you’re reading this, you’re already part of my community - whether we’ve actually shared life together, have worked together, or are simply part of our greater human family. I’m taking you with me on this trip, whether you donate or not, whether you like it or not! ;-) But, if you feel so called to give, I would be forever grateful!
I can’t wait to share with you all that I learn on this trip.
