Where It's From
We Have Forgotten Who We Are is a liturgical responsive reading that originates from the United Nations Environmental Sabbath Program. This piece is featured in Earth Prayers, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991).
The text embodies a collective lament and acknowledgment of humanity’s estrangement from nature, serving as a call to remember our interconnectedness with the Earth.
It is often used in the context of Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects, particularly during the “Honouring Our Pain” phase of the spiral, which invites participants to confront ecological grief and despair. Its repetitive structure and meditative tone make it a powerful tool for fostering communal reflection and spiritual engagement.
What you need
Preparations
- Gather participants in a quiet, reflective space.
- Provide copies of the text or project it visibly for everyone to follow.
- Incorporate movement and embodiment, e.g. encourage participants to accompany each refrain with gestures (e.g., bowing heads or placing hands over hearts) to embody their connection to the words.
- (Optional) Set the tone with calming music or nature sounds in the background.
- (Optional) Use instruments like drums or bells and invite them after each “We have forgotten who we are.”.
How it can be done
This practice can be performed in different ways, depending on the group and setting. Here are some formats you could explore:
Responsive Reading
- Choose one person to guide (the facilitator) and others to respond collectively.
- The guide reads each line ending with “We have forgotten who we are,” while participants repeat the refrain together.
Passing Around
- Pass the text around so each participant reads one line or one section aloud, followed by everyone saying “We have forgotten who we are.”
- This method personalises the experience and allows each voice to contribute.
In the Work that Reconnects, it is often used before or after an intense Honouring Out Pain practice.
We Have Forgotten Who We Are (Text)
We have forgotten who we are
We have alienated ourselves from the unfolding of the cosmos
We have become estranged from the movements of the earth
We have turned our backs on the cycles of life.
We have forgotten who we are.
We have sought only our own security
We have exploited simply for our own ends
We have distorted our knowledge
We have abused our power
We have forgotten who we are.
Now the land is barren
And the waters are poisoned
And the air is polluted.
We have forgotten who we are.
Now the forests are dying
And the creatures are disappearing
And humans are despairing.
We have forgotten who we are.
We ask forgiveness
We ask for the gift of remembering
We ask for the strength to change
We have forgotten who we are.
Source: from chapter 7 of Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown; second edition, published 2014.
