Michael Dowd: Practiced What He Preached

By: Gerry Russell

When I heard about the passing of Michael on October 7th, I was taken by complete surprise. I had just texted him the day before about his father’s passing and how he was going to spend extra time in New York before making his way to Massachusetts. Our in-person cup of coffee was going to have to wait just a little longer.

I was planning on seeing him in Cambridge, MA on October 15th for his presentation at Harvard Epsworth United Methodist Church. The presentation was entitled: “Eco Theism: Rehabilitating God, Redeeming Religion.” It never happened. His passing was a devastating loss not only for me and those that knew him, but for the whole body of life surrounding his message of love in action.

I first saw Michael on a reddit post in the /r/collapse community.  His message of G🌎D, religion, and the state of where exactly human civilization is heading completely transformed and rocked me. In November 2020 I attended his first Post Doom No Gloom call. Shortly after our first meeting,  I began to help in the background as tech support for the group. Getting to know Michael and share in this community was such an honor and privilege.

On October 14th,  my daughter and I took the journey from Western MA to Greensboro, VT to visit the burial site of Thomas Berry at Green Mountain Monastery. Our trip was inspired by Michael’s fondness for visiting gravesites, as well as the influence Thomas Berry had on his work. On that beautiful fall Saturday, we met Sr Amie, who was incredibly welcoming. She gave us a tour of the facilities and shared in the grief of Michael’s passing, as well as the joy of connecting G🌎D and nature. Before leaving, we placed a small metal sculpture of “G🌎D” next to Thomas Berry’s grave and read a passage from Selected Writings on the Earth Community.

How do I thank you Michael? The seed you planted in me is still growing and needs tending at times, but you left behind all the tools required for nurturing. Now it’s our time to spread your message and help support others along the way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Everything is Fine!

Michael at Thomas Berry’s gravesite