new moon, February 2025

New moon this month is February 27, 2025, 19:45.

Loving god is central to most wisdom traditions. But it is not easy in a society that worships other things. Our society, for example, is dominated by individualism, racism, and capitalism. These things are contrary to god, in my understanding:

• God is communal, not individual.
• God created one human race, not multiple human races.
• The sages – the spokespeople of god – say we cannot worship god and money.
• God is love. Even if there is no god, everyone longs to receive and give love.

If these truths are valid, it seems that our society is living contrary to the nature of god. Even putting god aside, it is contrary to the higher nature of humanity to worship – through our way of life – individualism, racism, and capitalism.

Ignoring god is common in the history of civilization. In fact, it may be the normal way of life for many societies. But it's also normal to want to remedy this neglect of god. Recognizing the ways our society ignores god is step one of the remedy. That's why I named them in the first paragraph. But let's add more precision and context.

• Individualism is rooted in delusion. Delusion is the toxin of the mind.
• Racism is rooted in hatred. Hatred is the toxin of the spirit.
• Capitalism is rooted in greed. Greed is the toxin of the body.

These roots are everywhere: In us and around us. In you. In me.

So here we are, called to love, yet caught in systems rooted in delusion, hatred, and greed.

I can't take it anymore

I find it unbearable to continue cooperating with unjust systems, their roots in toxic energies, their feelers in our hearts and minds. The only way I see myself or others gaining freedom from these systems is to stop cooperating with them. That's step two in the process of loving god amid a society gone astray: noncooperation.

Modeling noncooperation appears to be the best way to awaken others to the need for their own liberation from these same unjust systems. That's what the spiritual campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement did: they modeled noncooperation AND love of god and love of neighbor as a means to overcome unjust systems.

Dramatizing injustice through noncooperation has worked in the past to show the way out of oppression. It can work in 2025. It will not be easy. It will not be comfortable. And it will not be popular, not until folks see that it is a valid way of liberation from oppression, for both oppressors and oppressed.

Today, I don’t know exactly how to do it, but I know exactly what needs to be done: noncooperation with individualism, racism, and capitalism are necessary for loving god today. In the process, I aspire to increase my cooperation with oneness, friendship, and the common good. I invite you to bear witness to these efforts.

There’s a lot more to say about all of this, but as Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the good news always. Use words when necessary.” So let me preach through action …

This new lunar year, starting with the new moon of February, every natural month – as marked by the new moon – I intend to make changes to my way of life, to bring it more in line with loving god and loving neighbor. Here are my aspirations for change, this new moon of February:

0. New ways of life – making changes to my way of life, monthly on the new moon
1. Day of silence – observing a day of not speaking, monthly on the new moon
2. Group eco-healing – engaging with others in mindfulness-based earthwork and/or nature education, weekly

Much can be debated about these choices – I’m open to discussing them as I share them. But loving god is mostly an action. And this endeavor is mostly about actions. By all means tell me what you think, with loving speech, please. I’ll do my best to hear you with deep listening.

For example, I have a question about the specifics of number 2 on the list, so I welcome your helpful thoughts on it: Does observing silence include not texting? In the past, seekers of god who observed silence to purify their consciousness have used pen/cil and paper to communicate. That seems reasonable to me. But texting while observing silence, I’m not sure about that …

There's a lot more to say about these particular choices as well, namely how and why they are both noncooperation with injustice AND ways of loving god and neighbor. That's my intention in future posts. For now, the more important thing is to act. Society is ill. I can't change society today, but I can change my way of life.

A new way of life is necessary for me to liberate myself from these systems of oppression. I suspect that a new way of life is necessary for humanity, both to survive existential threats, and to flourish. May we live into new ways of life together and so discover our joint freedom in the process of co-creating it.