“Summoned By the Earth” is a book I’d been waiting for ever since the author, Cynthia Jurs, announced its pending publication. Imagine my delight when I was asked if I would review it. (The second time I’ve received such a request lately! See the previous post.) They sent me a copy and the following is my response. In a nutshell, I loved it!
“Sacred Activism is a transforming force of compassion-in-action that is born of a fusion of deep spiritual knowledge, courage, love, and passion, with wise radical action in the world.”
– Andrew Harvey
These words beautifully describe Cynthia Jurs and her extraordinary quest to fulfill an “assignment” given to her (by a 106 year old Buddhist lama in a cave in the Himalayas, no less) in answer to her question: How can we bring healing and protection to the Earth? The assignment? Travel the world planting Earth Treasure Vases, an ancient tradition that transmits the healing energy of prayers and sacred objects to wounded, endangered, and beloved places.
How does one capture the essence of such a monumental story? Cynthia says it best herself. “My journey … always felt as if I were living in a mythic landscape, carrying out an epic assignment to do an impossible task.” Yet, after more than three decades, the journey continues. I’m in awe of the courage and commitment it has taken to follow this path. How inspiring it is to know that healing and protecting the Earth is, yes, mythic and epic but not impossible.