A Quiet Rebellion of Care

In a world that often feels loud, fractured, and hurried, what might it mean to slow down and tend to what truly matters?

At SoulStream, we return again and again to this simple invitation: to live from the heart. When we listen closely to the heart’s voice, we often find it whispering something ancient and necessary. Care.

Not the kind of care that seeks applause or recognition. But the quiet, steady kind. This is the kind of care that kneels beside a friend in sorrow, plants seeds with hope, and listens without any agenda. The kind that makes room for both joy and grief and joins in what Hafiz called “love mischief,” all at once. This is a way of being present with love in complicated times.

Our recent podcast guest, David Gate, calls this way of living a rebellion of care. (I love that.)

In his life as a poet, artist, and homesteader in the mountains of North Carolina, David speaks from experience. His words rise from a connection with the earth. Goats to feed. Gardens to tend. Neighbours to lean on. And in the midst of this grounded life, a vision is growing. Caring for the earth, one another, and our inner lives is not a distraction from our purpose. It is the very heart of it.

When we choose care, we resist the myth of self-sufficiency. We move against the current of consumerism, isolation, and scarcity. We begin to remember a deeper truth. We belong to one another.

At SoulStream, we believe this kind of belonging is sacred and exemplified in the life of Jesus. Whether we are gathered around a shared meal, walking a forest trail, or sitting in silence together on Zoom, we are always invited to return to what is real. Care brings us there. Again and again.

To care is to risk tenderness. It means showing up without a script. It means choosing relationship when it would be easier to withdraw. It means listening, not to solve or advise, but to truly witness the soul of another. In this way, care becomes a quiet kind of rebellion. A spacious and open-hearted response to the world’s longing for connection.

As David says, we must give ourselves to the acts of care that build something better.

And, as David would also remind us, sometimes care is not only quiet and gentle. Occasionally the rebellion of care involves getting angry, taking bold action, and expressing how we really feel. It may look like standing up to injustice, naming what is harmful, and refusing to look away. This, too, is care. And it matters just as deeply.

May you find the courage to care.

May your hands plant hope,
your heart make room for sorrow and joy,
and your spirit join in the mischief of love.

May your voice rise when silence would harm,
and your presence be a healing balm,
even when no one sees.

This post is based on “Care, Community, and Rebellion” on the SoulStream Living from the Heart podcast with guest David Gate. To listen to the full episode, visit our podcast page.