All You Need Is Nodes

& Things I've Been Into Lately

There is a place along the ridge top near my home where spiders often weave their webs across the path. If I am walking in the morning it is not unusual for me to be stopped in my tracks, transfixed by one of these strong and delicate webs. On that section of trail, cool morning rays stream in through the trees as the sun rises over the surrounding hills, momentarily illuminating these newly made webs, making each thread and dew droplet glow as if from within. But then the light shifts as the angle of the sun changes, or I step to the left or right altering my perspective, and what had just been so clearly outlined and shining recedes into the shade - whole and strong, beautifully made, unseen and yet still present. After one of these encounters I always walk on with a sense of miracle and the memory of what is sometimes illuminated and sometimes hidden.

A man recently told me this story. He said that there is a ancient mystical story from the Jewish tradition about the 36 Tzadikim Nistarim or in Yiddish “ The Lamedvovnik” which is the name for the 36 humble righteous ones. According to this teaching, at any given time there are at least 36 holy persons in the world, and because of the goodness, compassion, love of justice, fairness and faithfulness of these 36, the world is preserved. He went on to tell me that according to some versions of the story, these holy people are hidden—no one knows who they are, or even if we are one of the 36 ourselves - and because one of the traits of the 36 is humility, if someone tells you they are Lamedvovnik its a pretty good indication the they are not.

I was touched by the thought of these hidden holy people all over the world, and that their very presence is helping to keep the fabric of the world strong. I loved the idea that any person I meet, on any given day, might be one of the 36, and that there may be more than 36, and that they are all around us, hidden in plain sight. She might be the woman ringing up groceries. He might be the father giving his son a ride on his shoulders at the park. It might be the person singing on the street corner or librarian who is shelving books. They might be your mother or father, your beloved or good friend. It might be you.

This story makes me want to take the hands of each person I meet and say “Thank you. It is because of your goodness, the world is a better place.”

I remember something that Professor of International Peace building, John Paul Lederach, mentioned during an interview on The Growing Edge Podcast. He said that it doesn’t take 100% of the people to create positive change. All you need are nodes. These nodes are the individuals and communities who are embracing a more peaceful, equitable and transformational world. These nodes are connected practically but also spiritually. Have you ever touched one point on a spider web and noticed how the entire web will begin to vibrate? This is what it is like when we are creating positive transformation. We create nodes of care and compassion, justice and love. There is a power that comes from individuals and from the collective good we each put into the system.

As a songwriter, I often think about how connections are made and how music travels through the air. A song is a pretty ephemeral thing, made mostly of air and good intentions. But when a certain kind of breeze passes through a spider web, it may subtly or actively touch upon a node and set the whole web to vibrating. And perhaps, in that way a song can also be a catalyst, if enough of us sing together.

Sometimes these webs of connection are illuminated like the webs I encounter on my morning walks along the ridge top - shining and obvious, strong and beautifully woven. Sometimes they are harder to perceive, depending upon the situation, the angle of the sun or my own shifting perspective. But every time I encounter or I sense these seen or unseen nodes of goodness, I am made more aware that I are not alone in my longing and work for something better and kinder for the world, and I am grateful for the threads of love that still hold the world together, and the vibrations always emanating from you and I, from the 36 whoever they may be, and from the communities of care that are still shining and true all over the world.

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Practice

Quiet your heart and breathe a few deep breaths. Then open up your heart and feel the presence of the individuals and communities of goodness around you. Feel the node that is you, the node that may be unseen but still vibrates though the world and connects to you. Breathe in and out a few more breaths, using the meditative words In - “May the love in me…” Out-” connect with the love in you.”

Question

What did it feel like to say the words of our meditation today? Did you have some sense of the unseen thread that connects us, one good heart to another, one node of caring community to the next?

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Things I’m Loving Lately….

John Paul Lederach’s New Website.

John Paul has recently launched a new website with archives of his works, poetry, audio of interviews and conversations, music and other reasons to be hopeful. Heres the Link

Building Bridges Word by Word

This is a new website and project created by Megan Scribner, creating a safe place to tell stories that connect us and bridge the divides so present in our world. You can read other people’s stories and submit stories of your own to be included on the site. Here’s a link to the website. Also my friend Parker J. Palmer recently posted a video and his story on the site as well.

Pieces of White Shell by Terry Tempest Williams

I just finished reading this book with my book group. It is an introduction to Navajo culture by a storyteller. It is fill with the stories and lore of the Navajo reservation, where she worked as a teacher. I loved how she came to see Navajo legend and ritual as touchstones for evaluating her own experience with connection, community and landscape. Here is a link to the book.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

My daughter turned me onto this lovely anime classic series. It tells the hero’s journey of a young boy, with the help of his two friends and a flying bison (yup, I loved the bison). Even though this is a children’s series, it explores with some very current and powerful topics through the lens of buddhist teachings including- war, grief, trauma, being true to oneself, the power of love and friendship. It all happens in a world where certain people have the ability to “bend” the elements (air, water, earth & fire). Its on Netflicks . There is a new series that is not animated. But the one I was was the animated original

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Late Winter/ Spring Tour

I have several fun shows coming up this spring that include retreats, concerts with my dear friend and colleague, Gary Walters, a double bill with my friend John McCutcheon and one with The Gathering of Spirits String Quartet. I hope you’ll join us. For more information visit my website tour page!