Love is anything but sentimental. In fact, it is the most real and creative form of human presence.

~John O’Donohue

Dear Springhouse Community,

In August of 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech called “Where Do We Go From Here?” at the 11th Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA. This is my favorite bit of it, where Dr. King defines love, and his definition is rigorous. 

The kind of love King describes is a responsibility that surpasses preferences – a love that gives us the courage to show up to complexity and difficulty in life-giving ways. This kind of love asks us to consider the “we” of beloved community, as much as the “I.” It does not scapegoat the vulnerable and marginalized in our communities, but asks us to love ourselves so that we can better love those around us. This kind of love requires taking responsibility for ourselves – our projections and assumptions and what limits us from living the lives we hope for.

We know that we live in a world of great suffering, and, in response, Springhouse embodies a pedagogy of love. We are here to grow vitality and love to share it with our community and beyond. The skill areas we practice as we live into becoming builders of regenerative and loving culture include ecology, relationship, initiative, embodiment, experimentation, reasoning, expression, and self-awareness. We practice skills that allow us not just to pursue the path that best suits our own individual needs, but one that allows us to more courageously serve a broken and beautiful world. This requires a new framework – one that holds us to a higher standard when it comes to loving the world. 

This year, we have a strong focus on our local community and region. We will be doing a community needs assessment; building more partnerships locally; and working on several specific projects, including activating the Springhouse Farm, to love this community and place more deeply. This not only strengthens our community, but also strengthens the living example of Springhouse, which makes the care of others and place as important as the individual – an example that has reached at least eight countries and now brings hope to many through our Sourced Design Network

Thank you for being a part of the Springhouse vision, which could be simply said like this: Life is a gift. Take care of it and share it with others. 
Always with love,
Jenny

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