The Poetics of Partnership
As the fourth speaker at the St. Anselm’s Earth Spirit Series, October 26, 2016, Nigel Haggan PhD, Marine Sciences spoke about the need for conversation among all the disparate groupings attending to our creation.
The title of his talk was Pipelines and the Poetics of Place. He describes “Spirit as the recombinant flow of the universe and spirituality as socialization and attunement to the flow of spirit where we live, to understand and strengthen whatever leads to flourishing and unpick the destructive. Spiritual practice thus includes art, science, spiritual and religious traditions, work and the passionate conservation work of ordinary people.”
He spoke passionately: “The voices of the scientists, economists and engineers are not too loud, just too lonely. The voices of the indigenous, the religious, the artists…are just as lonely on the other side of the wall that keeps the language of love and relationship out of project review.”
As Nigel spoke of the environmental projects before our Province of BC, he called for a conversation so that in this we might also hear the voice of the one salmon and all the salmon; an acceptance of the sacredness of the one as we connect with all God’s creatures emotionally, and spiritually.
A way forward is to apply “the golden rule to human and non-human alike.”
As I listened I was reminded of Julian of Norwich’s words:
“God showed me the little thing, the size of a hazelnut in the palm of my hand, and it was as round as a ball. I looked at it with my mind’s eye and I thought, ‘What can this be?’ And an answer came, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marveled that it could last, for I thought it might have crumbled to nothing, it was so small. And the answer came into my mind, ‘It lasts and ever shall because God loves it.’ And all things have being through the love of God. Enfolded In Love. In this little thing, I saw three truths. The first is that God made it, The second is that God loves it. The third is that God looks after it.” Enfolded in Love. Daily Readings with Julian of Norwich.
Given the nature of Nigel’s insight, it is in conversation that we come to honour this ever more deeply.
Nigel is a member of the diocesan Eco-Justice Unit, with ongoing work with indigenous and youth. He has plans engaging folks at Carnegie Centre and Britannia Secondary. For more information about his work, visit the Eco-Justice page on the diocesan website to send a message and make contact.
PHOTO: Nigel Haggan (centre) with Shirin and Daniel Theophilius, parishioners at St. Anselm’s. Courtesy of Nigel Haggan