Dear One’s of St. C’s, 

When I first heard the feminist understanding that our power is found in community from Dr. Kimberly George, I literally stopped in my tracks and had to sit down.  I did not have any idea what it meant, but I knew it was going to shift my thinking and where I would look for power in myself and others.  Feminist activists play special attention anytime people become isolated from their community, because they believe that is when we lose sight of our power. As I find myself coming back from vacation with a shortened week and going into back to back conferences next week, I find myself exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of my life.  My vacation was wonderful, but sometimes transitioning back into everyday reality can be jolting.  As I have been talking to teachers and parents a like it sounds like May is one of the most exhausting times of year.  Summer is close, but not that close, the rain is somehow still with us, and we are all longing for rest and sun.

Often when we get overwhelmed I feel like our initial instinct is to isolate, bunker down, and go into survival mode.  When we are overwhelmed with our lives and what is going on in the world, we often have a desire to want to step away from it all.  But this phrase keeps bouncing around in my head, “our power is found in community.”  God shows us this in the dance of the Trinity.  God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit continually seek us out and invite us to join them in the love and goodness they are creating in you and in the world.  You are not powerless over your life, but when we become disconnected from others, it can feel that way.  If you are feeling overwhelmed with the news or the demands of your life, I encourage you to reach out to your people, as well as your communal God.  I pray that all of us would continue to stay connected to our St. Columba’s community so that we can continually discover that we are not only not alone, but are in fact powerful change agents in this world for good.

with hope, 

Meghan