That’s what Thomas Berry wrote in his groundbreaking book, Dream of the Earth. “We’re in trouble just now,” he said, “because we do not have a good story. We are between stories. The Old Story—the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it—sustained us for a long time. It shaped our emotional attitudes, provided us with life purpose, energized action, consecrated suffering, integrated knowledge, guided education. When we awoke in the morning, we knew where we were.” That old story, he advises, is no longer functioning. We need to learn the New Story.
Thomas Berry’s wisdom compelled me to write the book, Becoming Intimate with the Earth, to be published by Collins Foundation Press in the fall of 2013. In the book, I consider our old stories—stories telling us we are autonomous individuals, separate from the natural world and each other—and how these stories have led to the Big Environmental Mess we are facing today. Fortunately, there is a New Story, one that comes out of very recent scientific discoveries, and resonates with the traditional wisdom of indigenous people and the ancient teachings of spiritual traditions. It tells us we are connected to everything in the Universe, we are wired to belong, to care, to care for. It’s a powerful, hopeful, energizing story and I am thrilled to be able to present it in my own way. Here is a short excerpt-a sneak preview-from the first chapter, Born Into A Story:
I’m always on the lookout, on the prowl for experiences that will provoke me to write a good story—a song, a poem, a novel, a play that will linger in the mind and heart. More often the stories find me. Sometimes they arrive gently with the early morning light: an image, a whisper, a touch. Other times they ambush me, take me by surprise, take me hostage, tie me up and shake me until the words crawl out from the cracks of my grief, my joy. This book was inspired, in part, by a story that pounced on me many years ago and would not let go until it spoke through me.
It was a story that helped me understand why my view of the world was in conflict with my culture, a story that said being intimate with the Earth was a human thing, not a pagan or foolish thing, a story that said being intimate with the Earth was not only rewarding and necessary for survival, but could provide people of all cultures with purpose and a sense of belonging to a magnificent evolving Universe
My late friend, Anne Ironside, introduced me to the story. She invited me to listen to a series of cassette tapes by physicist and mathematical cosmologist, Brian Swimme. Canticle to the Cosmos is based on The Universe Story, a scientific creation myth, written by Swimme and cultural historian, Thomas Berry.
One evening, about a dozen of us gathered in the semi-darkness in Anne’s meditation house. I was skeptical. What could a physicist teach me about my relationship to the Earth, to the Universe? Surely my own storied relationship with Nature, based on a lifetime of deep connection with rivers, oceans, trees, birds and the changing seasons was sufficient. Science didn’t interest me. In fact, all through university, I had managed to avoid taking science courses, unless, like the ancient Greeks, you consider music a science. I had no appetite for the scientific view of the Earth as a machine; in my experience, every living thing is conscious, has intent and purpose. But Anne was a trusted friend, so I stretched out on the floor like the others and crossed my arms.
A few people started to nod off. It was dark after all. But the sound of Brian’s voice and the poetry that colored his words stirred something deep inside me. I rummaged through my backpack for a pen, a piece of paper and a flashlight. As we travelled back into our deep history, I began feverishly taking notes. This cosmological story of the birth and evolution of our Universe was pouncing on me, wrapping me up in its arms. Here was a description of a world much more magnificent than one I could ever imagine. This was the story I had been waiting all my life to hear.
At last, science was addressing the questions I was seeking answers to, while honoring my desire for intimacy with the Earth. Here was a poetic story based on scientific evidence that reflected the wisdom of mystics and primal people, a story that showed how profoundly related we are to each other and to everything in the Universe. Here was the most elegant, the most important story I had ever heard—a vast, majestic container for all other stories. I was captured.
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This Sunday (January 18) I will be interviewed on The LifeBoat Hour, a radio show hosted by Carolyn Baker. Carolyn has been an adjunct professor of history and psychology, a psychotherapist, and has written several books, including Collapsing Consciously: Transformative Truths for Turbulent Times. I met Carolyn two years ago at one of her workshops and look forward to speaking with her. If you miss the program, you can listen to it later and download the episode, if you like. 
Pauline Le Bel - song spinner 