There has been so much written about Minnesota, so much talked about, so much grief, that I am hesitant to add to it. But also compelled to say something.

Minnesota is a crisis. And the root of crisis points always to opportunity. What is happening in Minnesota is an awakening opportunity.

Just like Black Lives Matter was and continues to be.

Just like genocide in Gaza continues to be.

They are all reflections of the exact same pattern: White Supremacy. Patriarchy. Hierarchies of value. All reinforced by named power, and unnamed obedience.

I’m rediscovering Thoreau right now- mainly through the writing of philosopher Frederic Gros. (See here and here. H/T Mike Chitty.) Thoreau is incredibly instructive.

What Thoreau encouraged was an awareness of our inner voice, the one that nags, the one that says, “I am no longer ok with this.” The voice that encourages us to be aware of our context, and how we are conditioned into this context. Aware of how and when this context steals our soul by disconnecting us from ourselves. In Buddhism, we call this inner voice, this soul, our Buddha Nature- the innate wisdom that connects us to everyone and everything. And this is what awakens us to the when and how of the ways that we become disconnected.

In spite of his reputation as an irascible hermit, Thoreau was an artist of connection. And what he helps us recognize is that with connection comes the responsibility to these connections. For Thoreau, disobedience is not primarily an act against something. Rather it is an act for something- the connections and relational context that we exist in. Disobedience is to disconnection an act of responsibility, of accountability and of obedience to our connections.

So, in this time of apocalyptic unveiling, we are offered questions of awareness.

What are we choosing to be obedient to?

What are the relational connections that we are we called to be responsible for?

What are the ways that we support systems, relationships power structures that are organized around disconnection? (Think of systems that value some people over others. Of systems that incentivize “success.” Of systems that reward disconnection. Recognize and take responsibility for how these systems impact us.)

And what does our obedience to our interbeing call us to be disobedient to?

This is how we take care of ourselves, and our connections to all.

Thoreau wrote, “Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.”

We all live in the machine. We all can provide friction. We all have the responsibility for determining what that means for us.

Let’s all sit with this.