“We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own — indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty, and wonder.” – Wangari Maathai
Two days ago the world lost a revolutionary.
I first learned of Wangari Maathai from the film Taking Root – The Vision of Wangari Maathai. I learned how she, a woman born of the Kenyan countryside, helped bring other women together first for the simple cause to plant trees, to meet their daily needs for fire wood.
From the seed of this vision was born the Green Belt Movement, which has planted millions of trees in Kenya. Criticized as a woman out of her place, she moved boldly even at the risk of violence against her. She brought women together to peacefully call for an end to state violence, and in so doing brought down a decades-old regime. Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work advocating for the rights of the people and the environment.
The depth of her love for justice, for the environment, for God and her people was so very simple. She will always remind me that you do not need to do grand things to be a revolutionary. You only need to do what is necessary. You can start small. You can start even with a seed.
Ground Theory 