It is possible that our current ways of being together are coming to their natural end. Our old social contracts, economic systems and governance structures no longer fit with the the more integrated ways of thinking and being that are emerging.

The past week here in South Minneapolis has been heart breaking, traumatic, exhausting, challenging, powerful and encouraging. I have cried at some point each day. When I heard what happened, when I watched my neighbourhood buildings burn, when I finally watched the video, when I swept up glass for days with neighbours, when I visited the memorial down the street, when I listened to stories of hurt, when I gathered with those on our block to organise night shifts to guard against racist extremists.

Some mainstream media continue to frame the events following the murder of George Floyd in dualistic terms along old party lines. The old story of separation and opposition. Us versus them, order versus chaos, peace versus violence, right versus left. But here in South Minneapolis, as in many other places, another story is emerging. One where, rather than demanding change from the powerful elites, we collaborate to imagine and create more humane and compassionate ways of being together. There is an awareness that we do not want to return to the former ‘peace’ that was only peace for some and we do not want to simply make changes within the same paradigm.

It is early days, but there seems to be a growing disparity between the maturing of our being, and our societal structures. This gives me hope that more integrated ways of being together might be ready to emerge.