A Snapshot of Beliefs

We'd come together, a group of caring and passionate people, talking about how to support our community after a local tragedy. Sharing visions of healing and growth, concern for the suffering, and brainstorming plans of action and next steps to make a concrete difference, we'd come together. In a vulnerable moment of unity, a loving leader spoke up, acknowledged each one for taking responsibility in our community, and invited us to close our eyes. Into the quiet, they spoke the words: The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant. An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream.... They continued to tell the story of The Hundredth Monkey , a myth created in the lat