Emmaus Blog

Thursday, September 24, 2026: Just One Thing -   Note to self -- Try a Softer Tone DR. RICK HANSON Explicit content – “There is no milk in the refrigerator!” Emotional subtext – Could be irritation, blame, accusation An implicit statement about the nature of the relationship – Could be one person gets to criticize and boss around someone else Many studies have found that the second and third elements – which I define in general as tone – usually have the greatest impact on how an interaction turns out. Since a relationship is built from interactions, the accumulating weight of the tone you use has big effects. In particular, because of the “negativity bias” of the brain – which is like Velcro for uncomfortable experiences but Teflon for pleasant ones – a repeatedly critical, snarky, disappointed, worried, or reproachful tone can really rock a relationship; for example, John and Julie Gottman’s work has shown that it typically takes several positive interactions to make up for ...

Wednesday, September 23, 2026: March with Us! IN OCTOBER! SONOMA COUNTY SANCTUARY COALITION Dear Friends and Allies, We are happy to invite you and your organization to participate in the Sonoma County Three-Day Walk For Immigrant Rights, on October 10-12, from Petaluma to Cloverdale! As you know, Sonoma County still has much to do to respond to the attacks against immigrants, including stopping the Sheriff from continuing to turn people over to ICE, offering emergency aid to those who aren’t able to access State or Federal safety nets, and ensuring that immigrant surveillance through General Dynamics Corp. and flock cameras stops.  Cities in Sonoma County must also do more to defend the rights of immigrants. For these reasons, we are putting together a strong coalition of individuals and organizations who agree that we must show the urgency of this moment by organizing a more dramatic action. The demands of the Walk (“Caminata”) are: ● The Sheriff must stop collaborating with IC...

Tuesday, September 22, 2026:  Nonviolence: A Christian Calling -  Loyalty to Christ's Peace Tuesday, September 22, 2026 The Palestinian Quaker Jean Zaru bears witness to her commitment to nonviolent resistance:     I call myself a Quaker or a Friend. And Friends, throughout history, have maintained a testimony to nonviolence. War, we say, is contrary to the teachings of Christ. Therefore, we are challenged to live in the presence of that power which wins through love rather than through war. This is no easy testimony. It has three aspects:    To refuse to take part in acts of war ourselves.    To strive to remove the causes of war.    To use the way of love open to us to promote peace and to heal wounds.    As Quakers we believe that there is something of God in every person. Why, then, is it so hard for us to see what is of God in one another? Both sides in any conflict often have difficulty seeing the other at all, let alone seeing that of ...

Sunday, September 20, 2026: Ecospirituality is Recognizing the Divine in Everything and Living and Participating in Awe and Wonder with the Interconnectedness of All  - our collective definition Last Friday we took part in a half day retreat centered around the practice of Ecospirituality. Kathy and Flavio, Maryknoll Missioners from Brazil, guided us through several thought provoking and challenging exercises. We laughed, we wrestled with the concept of Ecospirituality, we meditated and dreamed, and developed our own definition of Ecospirituality:  Ecospirituality is Recognizing the Divine in Everything and Living and Participating in Awe and Wonder with the Interconnectedness of All  ... We began with chair exercises to get warmed up...  Formed our circle  Discussed in small groups By the end of the afternoon we had become one body united together in a web of warm kinship and bright green yarn.  Dan Vrooman was so inspired he wrote this lovely poem  T...

Thursday, September 17, 2026:  Pope Francis' Laudato Si’  An Examination of Conscience Dear Sisters and Brothers: Tomorrow we meet Kathy and Flavio who will lead us on our half day retreat into Ecospirituality. I found this reflection by ethicist Megan Clark  to be very helpful in setting the stage for the work we do tomorrow afternoon. Throughout Laudato Si', Pope Francis echoes his namesake Francis of Assisi. It begins with a prayer of praise and lament; it begins placing ourselves in relationship before God. "Praise be to you, my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth" (no. 1) who "now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted upon her by our irresponsible use and abuse" (no. 2). Peace in our relationships and respect for all of creation — this is the heart of St. Francis model. Still, the pope is a Jesuit. In this Franciscan encyclical we find an Ignatian invitation: to listen, examine our consciences, and discover the magis. (the greater thin...

Tuesday, September 15, 2026:  What is Happening to Our Humanity? As war, division, and suffering fill our daily lives, Elaine B. Holtz asks what is happening to our humanity—and whether compassion, cooperation, and respect for one another can point us toward a different future. By Elaine B. Holtz Lately I find myself asking a question I never thought I would have to ask: What is happening to humanity? Every day we see images of war, children killed, families driven from their homes, people struggling to obtain health care, and communities facing an uncertain future. We seem to spend unimaginable sums preparing for conflict while too many people lack the basic necessities that make life worth living. I don't understand it. We often describe ourselves as a nation built on faith and moral values. Whatever our individual beliefs, many of us recognize the timeless wisdom of Jesus' words: "Love God with all your heart and love your Neighbor as Yourself.” Imagine if those princip...