Joanna Macy’s Wild Love For The World
In several conversations recently, this interview has come up as a foundational piece of inspiration for activists, educators,. So this month, we’re featuring Joanna Macy’s first appearance on the On Being podcast: “A Wild Love For The World“.
Joanna Macy has lived a varied life: she is a translator of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, worked for the CIA and the Peace Corps, worked alongside the Dalai Lama when he was first exiled to India, and was a foundational force for the environmental movement in the United States. Her terminology, “The Great Unraveling” and “The Great Turning” are still excellent ways to think about the twin paths our world is walking: collapse and transformation. First released in 2010, this conversation is still just as relevant as the day it was recorded.
Our favorite quote from the podcast: “You’re always asked to stretch a little bit more. And actually, we’re made for that. But in any case, there’s absolutely no excuse for making our passionate love for our world dependent on what we think of its degree of health, whether we think it’s going to go on forever. This moment, you’re alive.”