The Growing Edge Newsletter—August, 2024
"Revolutionary Love: A Conversation with Author/Activist Valarie Kaur”—a rebroadcast of Episode 22
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In this Issue
• Notes from the Edge
• Podcast: “Revolutionary Love: A Conversation with Author/Activist Valarie Kaur” (a rebroadcast of Episode 22)
• Community Question of the Month
• Parker’s Online Appearances
• Carrie’s Events & Appearances
Notes from the Edge
A Note from Parker
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"—aka the Great Commandment or the Golden Rule—is one of the most widely-known guides to living an ethical life. It’s so simple, or so it seems.
But what does love mean in 2024 when your neighbor turns out to be devoted to a presidential candidate whom you see as a serial liar, misogynist, racist, unrepentant felon and sociopath bent on bringing democracy down? And what does love mean when that same neighbor regards you a “communist” who blasphemes against “God’s chosen one” and fails to appreciate how “white Christians made America great” before the country was “invaded” by criminals of color?
In this day of deep divides—driven by white supremacy and the political tactic called “divide and conquer”—there’s no Valentine version of “love” that will help us stay in relationship to our neighbors. And that takes me to the invaluable work of Valarie Kaur, who has rescued love from sappy sentimentality with the notion of “revolutionary love.” In her groundbreaking book, See No Stranger, she writes:
“Love is more than a feeling. Love is a form of sweet labor: fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving—a choice we make over and over again. If love is sweet labor, love can be taught, modeled, and practiced. This labor engages all our emotions. Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger protects that which is loved. And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love.”
Valarie has more, much more, to say on the topic—and she can say it much better than I. Please take some time to listen to our discussion. I’m betting you will come away not only inspired, but with some practical ways of translating “Love thy neighbor…” into our troubled times.
BREAKING NEWS: Check out The Revolutionary Love Bus Tour 2024-2025 starting this Fall! Valarie and friends will be making “a healing odyssey across the U.S. calling people to courage, humanity, and love.” For more info, sign up now!
A Note from Carrie
In a time when the voices and value of women are being daily attacked in the most ugly ways it is good to lift up the voice and experiences of author/activist, Valarie Kaur and the wisdom of revolutionary love found in her book See No Stranger. I was moved during our original conversation and continue to be moved by Valarie’s explanation of love as a vital force for change.
Recently someone suggested I use another word instead of “love” when talking about what is powerful enough to help us navigate these troubled times and push back on ideas and attitudes in our current political climate that are misguided at best and deliberately hateful at worst. In this person’s mind love was too soft and airy and another word might be more appropriate. I directed this person to Valarie Kaur and her book See No Stranger. In my experience it is love, revolutionary love, that is the only thing that finally is strong enough to heal what has become so broken, the only thing lasting and courageous enough to actually move the dial toward that better world we long to see.
The theologian, Howard Thurman wrote about the many forms of resistance to injustice in his classic Jesus and the Disinherited. In his experience and understanding, hate was indeed a form of resistance, but just the least effective form. When we allow hate to take up lodging in our hearts, it doesn’t so much hurt the person to which we direct that hate, but it does harm ourselves, creating a knot of darkness that spreads out into all parts of our lives. But love deepens and expands our vision, is a foundation that allows us to persevere even the most difficult situations. Love is faithful and active and gritty. Love is life-giving in the ways that sustains us for the long haul. I hope you enjoy this open-hearted conversation with Parker, myself and Valarie Kaur.
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The Growing Edge Podcast
Rebroadcast of Episode 22: “Revolutionary Love: A Conversation with Author/Activist Valarie Kaur”. You can listen here, or on Substack, I-Tunes, Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts!
Visit our website for the full archives of The Growing Edge Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast please remember to rate us on I-Tunes, Spotify to help us reach new listeners and grow the conversation
Question of the Month
What do you think of the idea that “Love is a form of sweet labor: fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving—a choice we make over and over again.” Did the conversation bring up any thoughts or experiences or memories? How might Revolutionary Love look expressed in your life?
Parker’s Online Appearances
• MARK McCARTNEY is a UK-based business coach who has a podcast called “What is a Good Life?” I talked with him recently and greatly enjoyed our conversation. You can look in on YouTube HERE.
• A few years ago, I sat down with TAMI SIMON of Sounds True to talk about depression under the title “Welcome to the Human Race.” Tami is a skilled and seasoned interviewer—you can listen to our conversation HERE.
• BOOK NEWS: An UPDATED edition of my 2011 book Healing the Heart of Democracy is now available, along with an online Study Guide. • Also available now, with a new Introduction: the 25th ANNIVERSARY edition of Let Your Life Speak. • And Elena Soto has recently published a book exploring my longtime work in spirituality and education: The Spiritual and Educational Vision of Parker J. Palmer. Click on any of these titles to learn more.
Carrie’s Tour Schedule
Carrie will be doing only limited shows in the next months taking time for writing, reflection and creative living. :-) For more information about shows this summer and fall, and to reserve your tickets visit: www.carrienewcomer.com/tour
Carrie On Substack
Carrie also has her own substack offering called The Gathering of Spirits. You can check out here regular postings of essays, music, poetry, video and Song Labs at www.carrienewcomer.substack.com
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