Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves

Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World

An impassioned call to heal the wounds of our planet and ourselves through the tenets of our spiritual traditions, from a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
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It is so easy, in our modern world, to feel disconnected from the physical earth. Despite dire warnings and escalating concern over the state of our planet, many people feel out of touch with the natural world. Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai has spent decades working with the Green Belt Movement to help women in rural Kenya plantâ€”and sustainâ€”millions of trees. With their hands in the dirt, these women often find themselves empowered and â€œat homeâ€ in a way they never did before. Maathai wants to impart that feeling to everyone, and believes that the key lies in traditional spiritual values: love for the environment, self-betterment, gratitude and respect, and a commitment to service. While educated in the Christian tradition, Maathai draws inspiration from many faiths, celebrating the Jewish mandate tikkun olam (â€œrepair the worldâ€) and renewing the Japanese term mottainai (â€œdonâ€™t wasteâ€). Through rededication to these values, she believes, we might finally bring about healing for ourselves and the earth.

Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World