What If?
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“What if?” is a question that marks the step from where you have been, to where you might go. Without a vision it is hard to craft, not just inherit, a future. We are called to create a future full of justice, hope, love, potential, and life! During July and August we will be gathering at the Minnehaha Falls Bandstand around some important “What if?”s. Some experts from fields asking “What if?” questions will join us. And these Sundays will have elements for all ages. Join us at the Falls or on Livestream. What if you did?
July 2: What If? A Question We Can't Live Without. We are serious about not being able to live without these “what ifs.” The only reason our species is still on this planet is that people have time and time again asked, "What if?" and then found a way to make it possible. Of course, we've gotten ourselves in a lot of trouble with that as well, chasing after short-sighted, self-interested, short-term 'what ifs.' But it doesn't have to be that way. While imagining the future will require mind boggling and wild ride inducing 'what ifs,' we needn't be afraid. We've got what we need to do it. Let's take a look. LIVESTREAM | PODCAST | SUNDAY PAPER | GROUP GUIDE
July 9: What If… We Looked at the Roots of a Problem? Architect and researcher Gabrielle Clowdus couldn’t ignore this question when it came to homelessness. While asking it has uncovered layers of complication and challenge, the question has also exposed potential and ignited experiments. One “What if?” at a time, Settled.org now connects all kinds of ordinary people to wonder and create extraordinary places called home, together. Bring your curiosity and join in! LIVESTREAM | PODCAST | SUNDAY PAPER | GROUP GUIDE
July 16: What If… There Was an Open Mic at the Falls? Calling all performance artists! With live performance having such a power to bring us together, Fabric is hosting an open mic as part of the Minnehaha Falls Art Fair on July 16. Sign up to share a family friendly song or a poem or two! Click HERE to sign up!
July 23: What If… We Each Tackled One Part of One Problem? It doesn’t take a hero to make a dent in a persistent problem. Just ask Cathy Heying who noticed that when people on the margin had car problems their world could easily start unraveling. Public transit isn’t the whole answer. “Someone should fix that!” Cathy wasn’t a mechanic, or an entrepreneur, but she dared wonder, “What if it was me?” Let’s hear her story and listen for ours. LIVESTREAM | PODCAST | SUNDAY PAPER | GROUP GUIDE
July 30: What If… Doubts Were our Best Friends? We love answers. And doubt has long been labeled a stumbling block to life. A defect to be eliminated. But why? Justin Ley, founder and CEO of Reema Health, has made a life out of following his doubts - spiritually, personally, professionally - not to be negative, but to question the myth that everyone assumes. And to find a path to something no one thinks is possible. Join us for this conversation and bring your doubts! LIVESTREAM | PODCAST | SUNDAY PAPER
August 6: What if… Who You Are Isn’t Only Seen As Different, But Valued? Have you stopped to consider how others experience the same physical space that you do? Diversity and inclusion goes beyond visible human experience and differences. While we often try to be considerate of others, we often miss or under consider the “invisible” needs, capacities and experiences of others. Jenny Lillehei works with Fraser which has led the way on specialty healthcare and inclusion services. Her experience can help us grasp the problem and potential of being a society that includes all rather than marginalizing some because of how their brains work. PODCAST | SUNDAY PAPER
Photos and reflections by Jeanette Mayo
The turn of the calendar tempts us with promises of newness—fresh starts, better habits, upgraded versions of ourselves. But what if, instead of charging ahead with self-improvement schemes, we took a cue from winter’s stillness? What if we let go of the relentless hustle and embraced the radical idea that we are already enough?
Fabric’s January series, “Give Up,” has invited us into this counterintuitive wisdom—the grace of resting, receiving, and recognizing our inherent worth. Nature doesn’t demand that a hibernating bear emerge as a “better” bear. Spring’s renewal is not about striving but about unfolding what has been there all along.
In Wintering, Katherine May reminds us that transformation often happens in the quiet, unseen spaces. And in Belonging, Toko-pa Turner challenges us to strengthen our “receiving muscle,” to accept the support woven into our interconnected lives. “You are the receiver of too many generosities to count,” she writes. “Count them anyway.”
So, what if we stopped trying to earn our existence? What if we acknowledged the trees, the friendships, the small kindnesses that hold us? What if, instead of striving, we surrendered to belonging?
You are the gift. That’s enough. May it be so.
-Ian