by the Rev. Tristy Taylor
I am writing this missive from Brooklyn, NY, where I have safely avoided crashing airplanes and mind-numbing explosions.
I came to NY to meet the East Coast Church of Craft and see friends and reconnect with a place that I love very much. Little did I know that I would have a bird's eye view of the collapse of the twin towers of capitalism, and be so close to so much death, fear and despair.
I am sending out this missive to all members of the church to simply say, hold on, stay grounded and keep walking the path of truth and love. Not easy to do, I know. Yesterday, all I felt was rage and fear. We walked around the streets of Brooklyn as the powdered concrete (and we now know some asbestos) gently wafted down from the sky like snow. We found partially burned memos and insurance forms that flew the short trip over the water and into Red Hook and Carroll Gardens. I spoke with my friend Ali, who was in the first building when it was hit, saying a prayer of thanks that she is alive and safe.
Like everyone else, all I keeep thinking is, "what happens now? what about tomorrow? how do we live through this kind of violence?" I feel so completely incapable of processing this experience. How am I getting home? How do I live a "normal" life after seeing so much death?
Today, the subway is running, but the cars are empty. No planes are flying in the air except emergency rescue heliocopters and fighter jets ready to kill anyone that comes near us. I'm still left with questions.
Last night I had a dream. I'm walking through a forest that has been chopped down. It is a sea of stumps. Every single tree has been cut. I stand in the middle, sobbing. Who could do this? I walk up to one of the stumps and see the huge, beautiful spiral inside. I get lost in its magnificence. These trees are so old. I can see all of history in these trees, and I'm struck with the beauty and power of seeing this part of the tree. It's the part I don't get to see. This spiral is taking me so deeply down into myself, to a place so powerful that it overwhelms me. I wake up with this feeling, and somehow it is helping me get through today.
After waking from this dream, I immediately started making an alter. I hunted and gathered around the house and crafted a little space that everyone staying here can add to and focus our prayers on. While I was doing this, I heard the bells of St. Mary's church down the street. I kept thinking of going down there, of needing to be in a church with people who wanted to pray and connect with the Divine to help find our way out of this mess.
You all are my church and it is hard for me to be away from you all. Tonight, the NY Church of Craft will be holding an emergency gathering so we can be together and talk and cook and eat and craft. I hope that you all will do the same with eachother. I wish I could be there with you.
I also want to remind everyone about the power of prayer and how much it can heal. Prayer can be in any form you like. I have a friend whose prayer is working in the garden - digging her hands in the earth. I have another friend whose prayer is going to the tallest place he can find and shouting at God as loud as he can. I think for all of us, there is prayer in crafting too...it's a way to focus in to that deep place and connect with the Divine. I am praying for everyone who is suffering here, as well as those who have passed away. I am also praying for the people who made the attack, although that is harder.
The most important thing is to FEEL all the emotions and work with them. Talking and hugging helps me do that. We are all here to help each other.
My cell phone seems to be working now, so anybody can call me if you like. If you can't get through, keep trying...it seems that some lines are working and some aren't.
Hold on to eachother. You are all in my hearts.
I send you much crafty love and peace.
Tristy Taylor
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