Friday, September 1, 2017

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS


     Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the many, many Gulf Coast residents whose lives, homes and safety have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. Sitting here in the comfort of our home, it's hard to comprehend the devastation being caused by this historic storm system, no matter how many stories we've heard or videos we've seen.
     Our house (as well as the Circle office) is located in a rain-sensitive flood plain, just 50 yards from the San Antonio River, so there's a good chance that if Harvey had continued just 30 miles further inland, our neighborhood would have been flooded. As it was, the only physical damaged we experienced was that a strong wind knocked down a 40-foot hackberry tree in our backyard. Had it landed 20 feet in the other direction, it would have crushed our living room. These are just two of the many things Zet and I have to be grateful for, and among the many reasons for wanting to reach out to those who are less fortunate.
 
TAKING ACTION
     That's why we will be collecting donations on behalf of the Texas Red Cross in the Circle this Sunday. We encourage you to bring nonperishable food items, bottled water, baby food, diapers, flashlights and batteries, hygiene items and cleaning supplies to the Circle, and we'll take them to the Red Cross. We'll also be offering metaphysical support this Sunday by lifting up our collective prayers as part of the official Day of Prayer in Texas for the victims and responders involved in the flooding. We hope that you can join us in these efforts.
 
OTHER THOUGHTS
     In hindsight, it may not have been necessary to cancel last Sunday's Morning Circle gathering at SAY Sí, since the worst of the storm had already passed through San Antonio by then. But in the face of uncertain local weather conditions on Saturday afternoon, Mayor Ron Nirenberg had requested that area residents stay home and off the streets over the weekend if possible, so it seemed like the right thing to do when we cancelled.
     One totally unexpected benefit of not meeting with our Circle family was that Zet and I spontaneously decided to hold a Circle gathering by ourselves in our living room, and broadcast it to the community through a Facebook live-stream video on the Circle's Facebook page. Despite little planning and an abundance of logistical challenges, we had a wonderful time celebrating together, accompanied only by Circle Band percussionist, Carl Rush, and our next-door neighbor, Jose Mojica. We had no idea what to expect, so we were pleasantly shocked by how many Circle folks joined in with us online. We reached 473 people on Facebook during the live broadcast, with 130 watching all or most of the video, and 63 people posting comments! And in the days since then, that video has reached more than 1,100 people, which is pretty amazing, considering that this was our first time - and since our attendance on most Sundays varies from 60-85 folks.
 
OTHER OPTIONS
            The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with numerous requests to continue live-streaming our Sunday Circles. So that's what we'll do, beginning this weekend, when Zet and I will be joined by our guest speaker and dear friend, Susie Monday, a well-known visual artist, writer, art educator and long-time Circle supporter. It's particularly appropriate to make this available via online video, because Susie will be sharing her insights into creative living, along with a colorful Power Point presentation demonstrating her creativity - and encouraging YOUR creativity.
     I'll also be cooking up some new music, accompanied by the Circle Band, with Adam Tutor sitting in on saxophone, so it promises to be an especially lively Sunday morning gathering, whether you join us live or on Facebook, as we launch into this newest iteration of sharing our Oneness. I look forward to the possibility of sharing it with you, one way or the other.

With love and blessings,
     Rudi Harst
PS If you haven't our Facebook Live Video from last Sunday, you can still see it on our Facebook page by clicking here.

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