We’ve moved from the splendour and imperial regency of Istanbul to the remote and incredible Cappadocia. This is a place of unreal geography and living history. I love the way ruins here aren’t preserved, but rather used as the basis for building new things. The region is known for the thousands of ancient cave settlements, built as long as 4000 years ago from the soft volcanic rock. Nowadays parts of those ancient caves are incorporated into modern buildings, and form the basis for themed hotels like the beautiful Esbeli Evi, in which we are staying.

Cappadocia is also a cradle of Christian community, with people from this region documented as having been present at the resurrection of Christ and at the Pentecost. Cappadocian Christianity took root in communal living in these small remote valleys, occupied by small Christian communities that came together to practice and live. The photo above is the entrance to one of the hundreds of small early churches here.

While reading up on the early Christians, I came across this paragraph:

The hidden valleys constituted a refuge for the early Christians who fled from oppression and death. When the emperor Constantine granted religious freedom to Christians, Cappadocia had to a great degree become Christianized. The tufa rocks that were used as a shelter throughout history by those who fled hostile enemies or who withdrew from the world were ideal as places to hide and leave the world behind. Because the volcanic ter rain in the region was to a great extent unsuitable for agricultural cultivation, it was not sought out as a place of habitation; therefore, its being distant from major settlements and its favorable conditions for seclusion attracted settlement by Christians. It permitted them to remove themselves from the evils of the world and devote their lives to worship. For the early Christians who lived in groups based on the principle of communal life, poverty was a source of pride and wealth cause for shame. But, the increase in the numbers of Christians and the growth in the communities led to division in the views, and after the third century, we observe that Christianity was turning away from this early philosophy and way of life.It was no longer centered on communal life and brotherhood. Some sources reveal that monks remained constant to the concepts of commonality and broth- erhood and that they suffered great renunciation for the sake of these goals; but, in time, as the monks became more worldly, the religious functionaries gradually assumed special powers and privileges and formed a sacred caste. The Church itself undertook broad efforts to organize economically and politically, so Christianity conformed to the economic and political institutions of the Roman empire. This led to the ioss of the power and meaning of the early years of Christianity.We are unable to determine precisely hen the ecclesiastical organization began to undergo transformation and bow long these early concepts were viable.

The original occupy movement! And perhaps with clues about the evolution of subsequent ones. Why do humans seem so pre-destined towards hierarchy?

Good piece on knowing oneself…

I am more and more compelled by my friend Carol Sanford’s notion that those of us who strive to be “helpers” are most of service when we see ourselves as “re-sources,” agents of helping others re-connect and return to themselves more fully and deeply. Our tools for this are not “best practices” and expert advice, as Carol notes, but observation, inquiry and developmentally-oriented questions, and care-full listening. These are what help to create more space for discovery. Our gain is very much mutual.

I have been mostly taking off the month of July, staying home, reconnecting with my kids and partner and spending a lot of time alone, reflecting and letting the lessons of the past year sink in.  July is always a time of new practices emerging for me and this summer I have found myself on the water more.

It has taken me 11 years of living on an island (and 18 years living on the coast) to finally make friends with the sea.  I grew up on lakes, canoeing, rowing and swimming in fresh water where there are no currents, no unpredictable waves, no dangerous rips.  I have always loved swimming in the sea and snorkelling, but getting ON the water has been a challenge.

This summer though my mate Geoff Brown came to visit and got me up on a stand up paddle board and now I’m hooked.  I have been out numerous times this summer, paddling the waters around my home island.  Yesterday a friend and I went hard for about three hours, up around the north end of Bowen Island, where the view opens up to Howe Sound and Mount Garibaldi to the north.  Along the way we were tracked and followed by seals, eagles and herons, and even saw a

Today, after a stressful morning of cleaning, ferrying kids around and missed phone calls, I took my canoe out for a paddle around Kilarney Lake, the largest lake on our island.  I was after practice some solo techniques.

An early morning start from Bowen for a full day of work and travel. Off to run a full day Open Space for the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC and then on to Naramata to work with the leadership program of the Federation of Community Services of BC.

A rainy day of warm air and misty tendrils and landscapes half revealed.

Entering the summer solstice. I crossed the Salish Sea today which provides this view of my home island and, today, a glimpse of two dolphins who passed us in a hurry, steaming their way north.

This is the time of year in the north when the light begins to wane. The time of the fullest and brightest days, the fulfilled promise of the winter solstice. For me it’s a time of waning fullness, letting myself empty out leading into some time off in the summer and a busy fall. I love the rhythm of waxing and waning, of light and dark, of ordinary time and non-ordinary time. A year divided into two forms of practice.

So I wish you a happy celebration of the fullness of promise, an honoring of the warmth and light, comfort if you need it and relaxation if it helps. And my wish for this six months is for a half year of good practice, putting to good use everything that has been learned in the winter and spring.