Uncertain times raise significant questions that can architect the arc of our future. As a symphony of impermanence pervades the air of our systems across the world, a surge in creative calls of compassion are also shining through.

Here's a few that we've been witness to across the ecosystem...

When Karma Kitchen DC Canceled, Pay It Forward Becomes Everyday

While Karma Kitchens have had to halt for physical distancing, Krishna of Karma Kitchen DC announced a beautiful emergence:

"Our restaurant host is continuing the pay-it-forward tradition for carryout and deliveries -- from 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM everyday! If you are tired or struggling to cook at home everyday, please order your favorite dish from the regular menu and you can pay as much as you want, pay-it-forward to someone else or just tell them it has already been paid for by someone else. Karma Kitchen will cover any difference from our surplus fund."

Virtual Circles Galore

Awakin Circles have shifted virtual -- and from the online listings, you can attend one almost every day of the week! With Awakin hosts and other space-holders around the world last Friday, Preeta and Ari harvest insightful wisdom and collective resources in a "Lemonade of Virtual Space Holding" call (dubbed after the adage: "When life gives us lemons, make lemonade.") We weighed in on the challenges, opportunities, and experiments of the abrupt pivot into a virtual sphere during this pandemic. Towards the end of the conversation, special guest speaker, Terry Patten, shared a beautiful perspective:

Our practice, our meditation, our life of commitment is preparing us to be a presence of sanity and wholeness, when fear is arising inside and outside of us. And, yet, we haven't met a moment of truth just like this. We are in a threshold space -- it's deep and mythological. We don't know. Every one of us in our hearts is alive and listening. What is this? That humility -- that willingness to be still and listen -- we're sharing this. We're in the liminal space together. Something is falling apart. And in that practice, we are falling together. That goodwill and loving intention -- these are the best of us."

Collective Strands of Goodwill

In times of crises, people everywhere are rising to an innate call to nurture the greater good. When UK's NHS put out a call for 250 thousand volunteers, 750 thousand signed up. Vipul in India offered to friends, "I'm here to listen" and now hosts regular virtual mindful listening spaces. Last week, Liz, Helen, Dustin and Anand hosted a Prayer Circle to send best wishes to ill ones in the community. Every Friday at 3PM, Jane's PeaceBeam community pauses in stillness to send unrestricted good wishes to all beings. KindSpring's 21-day challenges portal is seeing a surge of hosts hosting collective practices of gratitude, kndness, simplicity, and cultivation in these times. As Xiao crosses Day 15 of 21 in a "Responding To Coronavirus" challenge with her master's program, she and friends are scheming up another one, which Joserra's slated to translate into Spanish! Food delivery self-organizes around the world; as Jayeshbhai, Kishan and crew in Ahmedabad, India find ways to feed day laborers in lockdown, Bhupen, Saroj, Bradley and Neeth coordinate meals to elderly in Silicon Valley. Other creative expressions soar, from poetry, to simple emails from one neighbor to another, speed-of-love collaborations amongst in tech, and so much more. Together, the collective strands of goodwill emerging weave an incredible constellation.


Karuna News, Coming Soon!

Our 10-day-old portal, KarunaVirus.org, has featured well over 100 stories that mirror the resounding spirit of our interconnection. Among the notable headlines are ... when a Cuban "army in white robes" (doctors) head to Italy, a viral photo of Muslim and Jewish paramedics praying together, how everyone, how everyone (even kids and the Amish!) are sewing masks (or printing medical supplies!) for hospitals, when school choirs and orchestras go viral virtually (as does a joyous couple in their 80s :)), the resurgence of nature (including calculations of lives saved from emissions reductions), youth (as young as four!) galvanizing friends to serve elders and homeless, overwhelming families fostering pets in shelters, and neighbors supporting neighbors in umpteen ways -- with food, dance, art, song, music, lights, and even exercise!

And from our readers, remarkable notes from all over continue to flow through -- from creating stunning poems to social media shout-outs, like:

"No matter 'why' or 'whodunnit', getting a big blast of faith in humanity is curative to the fear virus. We are not at war, this is peace time. Karuna means compassion, it's in all of us."

"Ok, so I'm finding myself online to help understand whats going on in the world, This site supports my mind, nervous system and heart with stories of compassion in relation to covid-19. Updated constantly. And by the way, 'karuna' is Sanskrit for compassion."

A bubbling "Karuna Response Team" of volunteers has been operating at the speed of love -- writing, editing, scouting stories, configuring technicalities, and so much more. A beautiful reflection one of them poignantly wrote:

I never sat down to find my definition of service until I learnt about ServiceSpace. I discover that there is service, kindness and love in every action but we realise it depending on our level of awareness. I wish to grow deeper in my spiritual cultivation to move closer to core self. Work that I term as 'chore' automatically flips when I do it for others -- because it comes from a place of love for others. I want be able to see that love in everything I do and everywhere I go and volunteering you all provides me with just that. Volunteering to me is sharing a part of me for others and by doing that I may just learn to see myself in everyone around me.

On top of that, as a weekly KarunaVirus newsletter readies to launch (subscribe at bottom-right), here's a couple photos gleaned that are bound to make one smile:


Outside a hospital Emergency Department.


Three sisters in a new kind of lemonade stand, on a roadside in California.


What Would Love Do?

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31st @8AM PST, over 100 folks will be collectively holding the question: What Would Love Do? On the coattails of our initial conversation, we'll hear lenses, experiments and reflections from luminaries in a range of countries. In Central America, innovation expert David Patton wonders "how can we create structures of hypercollaboration?" In United Kingdom, a BAFTA and Emmy-winning journalist lost a beloved friend and elder to the virus. How does love dovetail grief? In France, love warriors Jasky and Olivier explore "what community service experiments and inner practices can emerge while isolating at home?" In Romania, socio-emotional learning specialist Marius Luca finds himself buoyed by student reflections upon unleashing random acts of kindness from their homes. On top of that, podcaster Rev. Paulette Pipe will ground us in a guided meditation, meditation teacher (and Hollywood actress) Steph Nash will reflect on: "How do we find resilience?" and we can't wait to see what our collective emergence holds in store!



Uncertain times call for unpredictable action.

Thank you for buoying our spirits and expanding our sense of possibility with your unforeseeable examples of selfless love. As the days move forward, we don't know what uncharted territory will bring. Yet, through it all, may we hold a simple offering in our hearts -- may this unique point in history serve as a vehicle to draw out our highest potential as humans.