“Our Wild Untamed Saint”

Writes author Perdita Finn:

Sinéad

She died on the feast day of the lost Irish mother goddess Anu . . . goddess of the oceans and the howling winds and the windswept earth. Anu, who the Catholic Church tried to turn into St. Anne the grandmother . . . but who could not really be tamed.

So many of us, as young women, who first heard her howls knew she spoke for us, expressed what was in our souls for generations. She was so damn brave. So wild. So utterly untamed.

I listened to her songs over and over again and I howled with her and afterwards I would feel better.

The deaths of people with whom I am not personally intimate does not usually matter too much to me.

But this one feels very painful indeed.

Let her be our wild untamed saint. Let her help us take the tape off our mouths and our hearts. Let us always be too loud, too much, too loving, too fierce, too all of it . . . in her honor.

– Perdita Finn
via Facebook
July 26, 2023

Related Off-site Links:
Irish Singer Sinéad O’Connor Has Died at 56 – Neda Ulaby and Anastasia Tsioulcas (NPR News, July 26, 2023)
Sinéad O’Connor Obituary – Caroline Sullivan (The Guardian, July 26, 2023)
“Rest in Power”: Celebrities React to the Death of Sinéad O’Connor – Simrin Singh (CBS News, July 26, 2023).
Sinéad O’Connor Dead at 56: Inside Her Public Struggles and Private Tragedies – Meredith B. Kile (ET Online, July 26, 2023)
From Ripping-Up a Photo of the Pope on TV to Fighting With Madonna, Sinéad O’Connor Had Many Controversies – ABC News, July 26, 2023)
Sinéad O’Connor Remembered by Kate Bush, Massive Attack, ANOHNI, Tegan & Sara, Perfume Genius, Tori Amos, Tracey Thorn, Tim Burgess, Flea, Chuck D, and Many More – Madison Bloom and Evan Minsker (Pitchfork, July 26, 2023)

UPDATES: The Gospel According to Sinéad O’Connor: She Was Right All Along – Amanda Marcotte (Salon, July 27, 2023)
Kate Bush and Hozier Share Emotional Tributes to Sinéad O’Connor: “A Light Has Gone Out” – Marcus Wratten (Pink News, July 27, 2023)
Singer Sinéad O’Connor, Shunned for Standing Up for the Rights of the Most Vulnerable, Dies at 56 – Democracy Now!, July 27, 2023)
“I Only Want to Be My Own Woman”: The Glorious Rage of Sinéad O’Connor – Rebecca Sheehan (ABC News, July 27, 2023)
Why Sinéad O'Connor Refused to Be Silenced – Allyson McCabe (BBC News, July 27, 2023)
Morrissey Writes Scathing Criticism of Sinéad O’Connor Tributes: “You Hadn’t the Guts to Support Her When She Was Alive” – Jem Aswad (Variety, July 27, 2023)

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Australian Sojourn – March 2015: Sydney and the Blue Mountains
Mark Beaumont: Quote of the Day – July 30, 2018

Image: Wiki Commons Images / Bryan Ledgard.

In the Stillness and Silence of This Present Moment

. . . I release everything to God and focus my attention on the solution rather than the problem. Time has no meaning in Eternity. Solutions show up in ways we cannot imagine. I rest in the peace and certainty of God.

– From A Course in Miracles
(T-27.IV.1:1)

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• The Beauty and Challenge of Being Present in the Moment
• Today I Will Be Still
• Allow Everything to Rest Right Now
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – February 14, 2023
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – January 16, 2023
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – January 4, 2023
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – August 25, 2022
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – February 13, 2022
• When Sorrow Comes
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – November 25, 2021
• Just One Wish
• Blue Yonder
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – June 29, 2021
• Saaxiib Qurux Badan – June 24, 2021
• I Need Do Nothing . . . I Am Open to the Living Light
• A Sacred Pause
• My Love, “Return to the Root of the Root of Your Own Soul”
• Adnan . . . Amidst Mississippi Reflections and Forest Green
• Autumn, Adnan . . . and Art?
• Dwelling in Peace

Image: Adnan and sunflower – Michael J. Bayly (7/26/23).

Marianne Williamson on The Issue Is with Elex Michaelson – 07/20/23

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson was recently in Los Angeles where she was a guest on Elex Michaelson’s show The Issue Is.

In talking with Michalson, Marianne discussed her reasons for seeking the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, her differences with President Biden, her FDR-inspired 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights, her thoughts on Israel and on the SAG AFTRA strike, and her co-founding in 1989 of Project Angel Food.





Related Off-site Links:
Why Marianne Williamson Is Running for President Again in 2024 – Lee DeVito (Detroit Metro Times, July 10, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Answers Voter Questions in “Conversation with the Candidate” – WMUR-TV (June 30, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Is Wowing Gen Z on TikTok. But Could She Beat Biden in the Polls? – Brendan Rascius (McClatchy DC, June 13, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: United States Needs a Fundamental “Economic U-turn” – Sky News (June 17, 2023).
Debate Us, Mr. President – Marianne Williamson (Newsweek, May 31, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Blasts DNC for Doing Everything to “Make It Easier” for Biden – Ryan King (Washington Examiner, May 29, 2023).
For Marianne Williamson, the Bernie Sanders Lane Looks Wide Open – Mini Racker (TIME, May 25, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Wants to Introduce a New Politics to DC – Maximillian Alvarez (The Real News Network, May 18, 2023).
How Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Compare to Biden on 6 Key Issues – Andrew Stanton (Newsweek, May 15, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: From Third Way to Third Eye – Chris Lehmann (The Nation, May 15, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: Democrats Need a “Genuine Economic Alternative” to Beat the GOP in 2024 – David Sirota (Jacobin, May 5, 2023).
Marianne Williamson on Her 2024 Presidential Bid – C-SPAN (May 4, 2023).
Why Biden May Have to Forfeit the First Contest in His Re-election Bid to Marianne Williamson or RFK Jr. – Alex Seitz-Wald (NBC News, April 27, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Is Serious About Running a Progressive Campaign for President – Liza Featherstone (Jacobin, April 27, 2023).
DNC Shields Biden, Refuses to Hold Primary Debates, Silences RFK Jr and Marianne Williamson – Rising (April 24, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Made a Campaign Stop in Detroit Where She Railed Against the 1%. The Media Didn’t Cover It – Michael Betzold (Metro Times, April 25, 2023).
The Case for Marianne Williamson – Zach Courtney (The Minnesota Daily, April 20, 2023).
Democratic Presidential Longshot Marianne Williamson on Challenging Biden: “We Should Have as Many People Running in an Election as Feel Moved” – Victor Reklaitis (Market Watch, April 15, 2023).
Marianne Williamson, Fusing Bernie Sanders and (Early) Jordan Peterson, Is Taking Over TikTok – Ryan Grim (The Intercept, April 14, 2023).
Meet Eris, the Goddess Behind the Force That Is Marianne Williamson – Rayner Jae Liu (Medium, April 8, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Making Gains Against Joe Biden, New Poll Suggests – Jason Lemon (Newsweek, April 1, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Says Democrats Need to Fix “Unjust” Economy to Win – Andrew Stanton (Newsweek, March 12, 2023).

UPDATE: How Marianne Williamson’s Daring Plan Offers Hope to Defeat the Unrelenting Heat – Savannah Creel (Tuscon.com, July 28, 2023).


See also: Marianne 2024 Official Site | About | Issues | News | Events | Blog | Donate

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Marianne 2024
• Marianne Williamson Launches 2024 Presidential Campaign
• Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• More Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• Ben Burgis: Quote of the Day – March 10, 2023
• Despite the Undemocratic Antics of the DNC, Marianne Williamson Plans on “Winning the Nomination”
• Marianne Williamson in New Hampshire
• Voters, Not the DNC, Should Choose the Nominee
• The Biblical Roots of “From Each According to Ability; To Each According to Need”
• Marianne Williamson on The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton – 05/30/23
• Marianne Williamson’s Economic Bill of Rights
• Three Progressive Voices on the War in Ukraine
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – June 27, 2023
• Marianne Williamson: “We Must Challenge the Entire System”
• Progressive Perspectives on the U.S. Midterm Election Results
• Marianne Williamson on the Current Condition of the U.S.
• An Essential Read Ahead of the Midterms
• Marianne Williamson’s Politics of Love: The Rich Roll Interview
• Celebrating Tuesday’s Progressive Wins in the Midst of the Ongoing “War for the Future of the Democratic Party”
• Now Here’s a Voice I’d Like to Hear Regularly on the Sunday Morning Talk Shows
• A Deeper Perspective on What’s Really Attacking American Democracy

Mary Magdalene: “A Courageous Woman . . . Infamously Maligned”

The following is written by my friend Phillip Clark. I share it today at The Wild Reed with his permission.

Today the universal Church celebrates Mary Magdalene, a courageous woman who has been infamously maligned throughout the centuries. Mary of Magdala was one of Christ’s most devoted followers. John’s gospel describes Mary as the first to witness the resurrection and entrusted with sharing this joyous revelation to the other male disciples.

Mary has been honored as “apostle to the apostles” for her unique role of announcing the Good News. The Gospels of Mary, Philip, and Thomas are Gnostic texts that describe Mary as being a pivotal leader in the early Jesus movement, on par with, and often, eclipsing Christ’s male apostles – specifically Peter.

Gnostic gospels are works of Christian mysticism that emphasize the importance of cultivating spirituality within and promote an alternative, non-hierarchical vision of Christianity transcending patriarchy. These gospels were widely read until male bishops designated Gnosticism as heretical, in the name of “orthodoxy,” and excluded Gnostic materials from the books that comprise the Bible most Christians know today.

As the Catholic Church consolidated its temporal power, Pope Gregory I incorrectly labeled Mary Magdalene as a prostitute during a sermon in 591 CE. Only recently has biblical scholarship rehabilitated Mary of Magdala from being a repentant sinner to rightly being celebrated as a powerful leader, teacher, and apostle in the nascent Jesus movement.

Gnostic stories describe Mary Magdalene and Jesus as sharing an intimate bond, one that may have even been romantic. This narrative liberates Christianity from the limitations of navigating sexuality through patriarchal constraints.

Mary of Magdala reminds us of the foundational role women have always played in Christianity. There is no basis for prohibiting women’s ordination, on the grounds of Jesus only choosing male apostles, when he specifically charged Mary, calling her by name, with sharing the resurrection to the rest of his frightened male followers in the wake of the crucifixion.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us, and be our guide in creating a Church that welcomes and cherishes women’s leadership in preaching the Risen One’s transformative message of love and reconciliation!

– Phillip Clark
via Facebook
July 22, 2023

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Mary of Magdala
• Apostle to the Apostles
• Thoughts on The Da Vinci Code
• Thoughts on Ordination, Intellectual Dishonesty, and the Holy Spirit of which the Prophet Joel Speaks
• Tell Them, Mary
• The Model of Leadership Offered by Jesus: “More Like the Gardener Than the Owner of the Garden”
• A Prayer on the Feast of Mary Magdalene

For more of Phillip Clark’s writings at The Wild Reed, see
• The Magi as Archetypes of “Witchy Faith”
• Acknowledging Where We Are
• Quote of the Day – April 15, 2020
• Phillip Clark on the “Karmic Wake Up Call” of a Year Ago
• In the Wake of Trump’s “Catastrophic” Election, Phillip Clark on the Spiritual Truths That Will Carry Us Forward
• Heartening

Image: Linzy Arnott.

Celebrating Every Body

The Wild Reed’s 2023 Queer Appreciation series continues with an informative op-ed by Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan.

This op-ed highlights Every Body, a new documentary film about the reality of intersex individuals.

______________

A wave of exclusion is sweeping the nation, in state legislatures and federal courts, including the Supreme Court. Major targets of this marginalization are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Last week, a federal appeals court affirmed Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement after the decision, “This ruling is beyond disappointing and a heartbreaking development for thousands of transgender youth, their doctors, and their families. . . . We will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated.”

While trans people are most openly and consistently in the crosshairs, another group is suffering as well: intersex people. A remarkable documentary called Every Body is now hitting theaters, exposing the extent of the abuse heaped on this community, highlighting the vibrant movement for justice and human rights for intersex people growing worldwide. Every Body is a powerful, must-see documentary directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julie Cohen.

According to Planned Parenthood, intersex – the “I” in LGBTQIA+ – is an umbrella term that describes bodies that fall outside the strict male/female binary. This could be “a person with both ovarian and testicular tissues. Other intersex people have combinations of chromosomes that are different than XY.” An estimated 1.7% of people have some intersex characteristics.

Historically, the medical establishment in the U.S. subjected most intersex people to surgery to “correct” them, often as children or infants. Many children were not told they are intersex or that they had an operation. Others were told to keep quiet by doctors and/or their parents to avoid stigma and shame.

While trans youth are increasingly being prevented from seeking gender-affirming care, including surgery, intersex people are often subjected to surgery without their knowledge. Many trans care bans make an exception to allow surgery on intersex infants and children, which too often is done without real informed consent.

The medical and emotional trauma resulting from these nonconsensual surgeries has been immense. Every Body features three remarkable intersex activists: River Gallo (they/them), Sean Saifa Wall (he/him) and Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they). They highlight the wide variation in how intersexuality presents itself and the incredible courage underpinning the movement for intersex inclusion and justice.

“On my medical records, it was noted that I had a small phallus and undescended testes,” Saifa Wall said on the Democracy Now! news hour. “They just made the arbitrary decision to assign me as female and raise me as a girl, but I never felt like a girl.”

“My mom had two children before me who also had AIS [Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome],” Saifa continued. “They were born during the ’60s, when the protocol was to remove undescended testes. Those surgeries were done in infancy. . . . What I experienced, what other people have experienced, are civil rights and human rights violations.”

Every Body includes intersex activist Alicia Roth Weigel’s 2017 testimony before a Texas Senate committee in opposition to bills that would have discriminated against transgender people and their ability to use public restrooms:

“I have XY chromosomes . . . I was born phenotypically female on the outside with a woman’s anatomy, but with internal testes instead of ovaries. They were subsequently removed.”

Roth Weigel appeared on Democracy Now! and explained, “I am a proud Texas woman who is fighting against our high rates of maternal mortality in the state, fighting for body autonomy across the spectrum of all human rights, including free and fair access to abortions. I think bringing the intersex movement intersectionally into the women’s movement is a really important fight.”

Intersex activists are fighting for their rights. Roth Weigel explained, “New York City was the first city to pass an ordinance that formally condemned surgeries and outlawed them in New York Health + Hospitals public health system. It also mandated a public awareness campaign for parents and doctors of intersex children, so that they can make better-informed decisions than any of our parents were able to, often at the hands of misinformation provided to them by the medical community.” This ordinance has now been replicated in Austin, Texas, and is now being considered in the New York state legislature.

“The state of New York is going to be running a public awareness campaign to raise visibility of the existence of people like the three of us and so many others in our movement,” declared Roth Weigel.

Director Julie Cohen said she hopes Every Body promotes “more openness, more understanding, less shame and secrecy, more pride.”

“Understanding that there is a broad spectrum of what normal can be and what beauty and pride can be . . . is part of what this film is all about.”

– Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
“Everybody Should See Every Body”
Democracy Now!
July 13, 2023

NEXT: Three Radical (Religious) Ideas
for Queer Liberation


Related Off-site Links and Updates:
What is Intersex? – PlannedParenthood.org.
Every Body: New Film Shines Spotlight on Intersex Community’s Fight for Recognition and Bodily Autonomy – Democracy Now! (June 12, 2023).
What Does it Mean to Be Intersex? Every Body Sheds Light on Little-known Subject – Jocelyn Noveck (AP News, June 28, 2023).
For the Intersex Community, Every Body Exists on a Spectrum – Terry Gross (NPR News, July 5, 2023).
Every Body’s Filmmaker Julie Cohen Recounts Her Remarkable Journey – Focus Features (July 18, 2023).
Every Body Review – Matt Zoller Seitz (RogerEbert.com, June 30, 2023).
Sex and Gender are Binaries? Sorry, That’s a Scientific Falsehood – Ash Zemenick (San Francisco Chronicle, June 1, 2023).
Here’s Why Human Sex Is Not Binary – Agustín Fuentes (Scientific America, May 1, 2023).
Biological Science Rejects the Sex Binary, and That’s Good for Humanity – Agustín Fuentes (Sapiens.or, May 11, 2023).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Introducing the Catholic Community to the ‘B’ and the ‘T’ of ‘GLBT’ and Presenting the ‘I’: Bisexuality, Transgenderism, and Intersexuality
• Angela Kade Goepferd on the “Manufactured Controversy” Targeting Gender-Affirming Care
• The Bigger Box of Crayons We All Deserve
• Judith Butler on the Reactionary Movement and Fascist Trend Opposed to Diverse Ideas About Gender
• Gabbi Pierce on the “Evolution of Gender”
• Francis DeBernardo: Quote of the Day – September 21, 2016
• Terry Weldon: Quote of the Day – August 20, 2015
• Samantha Allen: Quote of the Day – August 14, 2015

A Sacred Journey, a Pilgrim Path

As the sun pours forth its life that we on this earth may live, may I pour forth my life this day in service to others and in love of you, my Beloved One.

Remind me in countless ways as I walk the sunlit hours of this day, that I am on a sacred journey; along with the stars traveling through space, I am on a pilgrim path.

Beloved One, Eternal Source of my existence, your heart is my home. From you I have come and to you I journey this day.

– Edward Hays
Adapted from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim
Forest of Peace Books, 2005
p. 46

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• In Summer Light
• O Breath of Summer
• Say Yes to the Light
• The Sun Is All Around You
• Summer Blooms
• Summer Boy
• The Light Within
• The Source Is Within You
• The Dance of a Summer Day
• Aligning With the Living Light
• I Need Do Nothing . . . I Am Open to the Living Light
• The Soul’s Beloved
• You Are My Goal, Beloved One
• Be In My Mind, Beloved One
• Your Peace Is With Me, Beloved One
• Beloved and Antlered
• Finding Balance in the Presence of the Beloved
• Meeting (and Embodying) the Lover God
• A Visit to the Prayer Tree
• A Summer Sunset Psalm

Images: Michael J. Bayly.

Voters, Not the DNC, Should Choose the Nominee

Note to Barack Obama and the “liberal” folks at Pod Save America: Voter shaming is not going to help Joe Biden win.

Furthermore, there can’t be a “spoiler” candidate in a party’s primary race, as all candidates running are of the same party.

The following 12-minute video not only addresses both voter and “spoiler” shaming by the Democratic party establishment but also provides a fascinating and important discussion and analysis of U.S. elections . . . past and future.

It’s also timely to note that with the majority of Democratic voters not wanting Joe Biden to run in 2024*, the DNC’s (and others’) efforts to shoehorn him into the nomination while smugly dismissing and excluding his Democratic challengers, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, is just mind-boggling.

Biden should debate his Democratic party challengers, and the Democratic primary voters should choose who gets to be the nominee, not the DNC.





MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has also made the ludicrous claim that a primary challenger to Biden is somehow “helping elect Trump.”

Following is Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti’s dismantling of this claim in relation to Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who was recently interviewed by Hasan.





* A number of recent articles cite different polls that basically say the same thing: the majority of Democrats and the majority of Americans don’t want Biden to run again. It should also be noted that the majority of Americans don’t want Trump to run again either. In relation to Biden, Mark Moore writes: “62% of Democrats want someone else to be the party’s standard-bearer in 2024. Overall, a whopping 78% of Americans want Biden to be a one-and-done president, compared to 22% who say he should run for a second term.” Meanwhile, an April 2023 Associated Press/NORC poll among 1,230 U.S. adults, found only 26% of respondents would like to see Biden run again in 2024, versus 73% who said he shouldn’t.


Related Off-site Links:
Most Democrats Don’t Want Biden to Seek a Second Term, Poll Says – Josh Boak and Hannah Fingerhut (Ap News via PBS Newshour, February 6, 2023).
Mehdi Hasan Tells Marianne Williamson She’s An Unserious “Spoiler” Candidate – The Kyle Kulinski Show (May 30, 2023).
Mehdi Hasan and Marianne Williamson Debate “Experience” – The Rational National (May 31, 2023).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is No Robert F. Kennedy – Robert Reich (Common Dreams, July 18, 2023).
Student Debt, Reparations and the Environment: Marianne Williamson Campaigns to End “Status Quo” – Rachel Looker (USA Today, July 7, 2023).
Why Marianne Williamson Is Running for President Again in 2024 – Lee DeVito (Detroit Metro Times, July 10, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Answers Voter Questions in “Conversation with the Candidate” – WMUR-TV (June 30, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Torches DNC’s “Outrageous” Support for Biden in 2024 Dem Primary – Paul Steinhauser (Fox News, July 3, 2023).
How Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Compare to Biden on 6 Key Issues – Andrew Stanton (Newsweek, May 15, 2023).
Debate Us, Mr. President – Marianne Williamson (Newsweek, May 31, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: United States Needs a Fundamental “Economic U-turn” – Sky News (June 17, 2023).
Joe Biden Is “Selfish” to Be Running at His Age – Marianne Williamson – Aleks Phillips (Newsweek, June 17, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Is Wowing Gen Z on TikTok. But Could She Beat Biden in the Polls? – Brendan Rascius (McClatchy DC, June 13, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Blasts DNC for Doing Everything to “Make It Easier” for Biden – Ryan King (Washington Examiner, May 29, 2023).
For Marianne Williamson, the Bernie Sanders Lane Looks Wide Open – Mini Racker (TIME, May 25, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Wants to Introduce a New Politics to DC – Maximillian Alvarez (The Real News Network, May 18, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: From Third Way to Third Eye – Chris Lehmann (The Nation, May 15, 2023).
Marianne Williamson: Democrats Need a “Genuine Economic Alternative” to Beat the GOP in 2024 – David Sirota (Jacobin, May 5, 2023).
Marianne Williamson on Her 2024 Presidential Bid – C-SPAN (May 4, 2023).
Why Biden May Have to Forfeit the First Contest in His Re-election Bid to Marianne Williamson or RFK Jr. – Alex Seitz-Wald (NBC News, April 27, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Is Serious About Running a Progressive Campaign for President – Liza Featherstone (Jacobin, April 27, 2023).
DNC Shields Biden, Refuses to Hold Primary Debates, Silences RFK Jr and Marianne Williamson – Rising (April 24, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Made a Campaign Stop in Detroit Where She Railed Against the 1%. The Media Didn’t Cover It – Michael Betzold (Metro Times, April 25, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Warns Younger Voters Will “Stay Home in Droves” If Biden Becomes Nominee – Ryan King (Washington Examiner, April 25, 2023).
The Case for Marianne Williamson – Zach Courtney (The Minnesota Daily, April 20, 2023).
Democratic Presidential Longshot Marianne Williamson on Challenging Biden: “We Should Have as Many People Running in an Election as Feel Moved” – Victor Reklaitis (Market Watch, April 15, 2023).
Marianne Williamson, Fusing Bernie Sanders and (Early) Jordan Peterson, Is Taking Over TikTok – Ryan Grim (The Intercept, April 14, 2023).
Meet Eris, the Goddess Behind the Force That Is Marianne Williamson – Rayner Jae Liu (Medium, April 8, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Making Gains Against Joe Biden, New Poll Suggests – Jason Lemon (Newsweek, April 1, 2023).
Marianne Williamson Says Democrats Need to Fix “Unjust” Economy to Win – Andrew Stanton (Newsweek, March 12, 2023).



Marianne 2024 Official Site | About | Issues | News | Events | Blog | Donate

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Marianne 2024
• Marianne Williamson Launches 2024 Presidential Campaign
• Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• More Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• Ben Burgis: Quote of the Day – March 10, 2023
• Despite the Undemocratic Antics of the DNC, Marianne Williamson Plans on “Winning the Nomination”
• The Biblical Roots of “From Each According to Ability; To Each According to Need” • Marianne Williamson on The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton – 05/30/23
• Marianne Williamson’s Economic Bill of Rights
• Three Progressive Voices on the War in Ukraine
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – June 27, 2023
• Marianne Williamson: “We Must Challenge the Entire System”
• Progressive Perspectives on the U.S. Midterm Election Results
• Marianne Williamson on the Current Condition of the U.S.
• An Essential Read Ahead of the Midterms
• Marianne Williamson’s Politics of Love: The Rich Roll Interview
• Celebrating Tuesday’s Progressive Wins in the Midst of the Ongoing “War for the Future of the Democratic Party”
• Now Here’s a Voice I’d Like to Hear Regularly on the Sunday Morning Talk Shows
• A Deeper Perspective on What’s Really Attacking American Democracy

Quote of the Day

The most unreported story of the pandemic, the one that seems destined to be overlooked as histories are being written, is what [then-President] Trump did when he learned the COVID coronavirus was largely killing Black and Hispanic people and mostly sparing whites.

The moment he came to that realization he completely altered the US response to the pandemic, leading to the unnecessary death of 300,000 to 500,000 Americans.

Deaths that he and his advisors apparently believed (correctly) would be, outside of nursing home residents, disproportionately Black and Hispanic people. It’s an amazing story and the evidence is easily found.

– Thom Hartmann
Excerpted from “The Day Trump Decided to Let
Hundreds of Thousands of Americans Die
to Gain Political Advantage”
Common Dreams
July 14, 2023

Related Off-site Links:
Trump Was a Cog in the COVID Death Machine – Phil Wilson (The Recorder, July 16, 2023).
Former Federal Prosecutor Glenn Kirschner: Trump and Kushner Share “Criminal Responsibility” for COVID Deaths – Fatma Khaled (Newsweek, December 31, 2022). Trump’s Policy Failures Have Exacted a Heavy Toll on Public Health – Jacob Bor, David U. Himmelstein, and Steffie Woolhandler (Scientific America, March 5, 2021).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis: Quote of the Day – May 3, 2023
• The State of the COVID Pandemic: “We’re Collectively Walking An Immunity Tightrope”
• Vaccines and GMOs: Two Very Different Debates
• On the Second Anniversary of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Words of Gratitude and Hope
• Difficult Choices
• A COVID Start to 2022
• Out and About – Autumn 2021
• Renae Gage: Quote of the Day – November 28, 2021
• COVID Observations From a General Surgeon
• Richard LaFortune: Quote of the Day – August 20, 2021
• Something to Lament
• A Pandemic Year
• Out and About – Spring 2020
• Memes of the Times
• The Lancet Weighs-in on the Trump Administration’s “Incoherent” Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Examining the Link Between Destruction of Biodiversity and Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Sonya Renee Taylor: Quote of the Day – April 18, 2020
• Marianne Williamson: In the Midst of This “Heartbreaking” Pandemic, It’s Okay to Be Heartbroken
• Hope and Beauty in the Midst of the Global Coronavirus Pandemic
• A Prayer in Times of a Pandemic

Image: Kristen Solberg.

“The Militarization of Our Mindsets Is a Failure”

Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of The Nation and a columnist for The Washington Post, was recently a guest on Democracy Now! where she talked about Ukraine’s push to join NATO and plans by the U.S. to send Ukraine cluster bombs.

I particularly appreciated her following perspective on the ongoing conflict involving Ukraine, Russia and NATO.

There’s a mission creep that I think we need to pay attention to. When [the Secretary General of NATO] Jens Stoltenberg [pictured above with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky] spoke recently of “inter-operability,” what that means is more weapons, more and more weapons [which means] that the arms manufacturers will make out like bandits, because NATO countries will have to be in sync, and “in sync” often means buying U.S. weapons. You know, the militarization of our mindsets, of our approach to security dangers and horrors, is a failure. And the new challenges – the climate issues, the nuclear issues – these are not going to be won by horrific, grinding wars of attrition. So, we are in a kind of World War I situation with 21st century missiles, ignoring some of the key challenges we really should face.

– Katrina vanden Heuvel
July 11, 2023

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A “Post-Cold War Train Wreck Long In the Making”
• Yanis Varoufakis: Quote of the Day – February 24, 2022
• A Prayer for Ukraine
• Jeff Cohen: Quote of the Day – February 28, 2022
• Something to Think About – March 4, 2022
• William Hartung: Quote of the Day – May 24, 2022
• Phyllis Bennis On the Need For a Ceasefire in Ukraine
• Cornel West: “Our Anti-Imperialism Must Be Consistent”
• Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies: Quote of the Day – December 28, 2022
• Reed Brody: Quote of the Day – February 6, 2023
• Three Progressive Voices on the War in Ukraine

Related Off-site Links:
What Is the Point of NATO? Historian Grey Anderson on How U.S. Has Used Alliance to Strengthen Power – Democracy Now! (July 14, 2023).
Stephen Wertheim: The West Cannot Ignore Role NATO Expansion Played in Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Democracy Now! (July 13, 2023).
Republicans Tank Amendment to Ban U.S. Sale of Cluster Munitions Worldwide – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, July 13, 2023).
NATO Summit: Will Ukraine’s Demand to Join Military Alliance Help Prolong the War? – Democracy Now! (July 12, 2023).
Campaigners Say “Ceasefire and Peace Talks” – Not NATO Expansion – Should Be Focus of Key Summit – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, July 11, 2023).
We Must Work for a Ukraine-Russia Cease-Fire ASAP – Ann Wright (Common Dreams, June 14, 2023.
The Surprising Pervasiveness of Pro-War Propaganda – Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. Davies and Marcy Winograd (FPIF.org, June 9, 2023.
The War in Ukraine Was Provoked – and Why That Matters to Achieve Peace – Jeffrey D. Sachs (Common Dreams, May 23, 2023.
Phyllis Bennis on Ukraine War and Why a Ceasefire Is the First Step Toward Lasting Peace – Democracy Now! (May 9, 2023).
Ukraine Doesn’t Need to Match Russia’s Military Might to Defend Against Invasion – George Lakey (Waging Nonviolence, February 25, 2022).
Condemning Russia’s Invasion, Voices for Peace Say “War Is Not the Answer” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
How NATO’s Expansion Helped Drive Putin to Invade Ukraine – Becky Sullivan (NPR News, February 24, 2022).

A Visit to the Prayer Tree

About two weeks ago, on Saturday, July 1, I visited the Prayer Tree, a very special place of spiritual connection and renewal for me.

This particular tree grows beside Minnehaha Creek, not far from where I lived in south Minneapolis from 2012-2018.

When I was doing my chaplain residency at Abbott Northwestern Hospital (2017-2018), I would pause at this tree each morning and afternoon as I walked to and from my bus stop on nearby Chicago Ave.

My time at what I came to call the Prayer Tree was a beautiful and powerful way to prepare me for my chaplaincy work . . . as well as to begin and end my work day. It became for me a holy place, and remains so to this day.

This really shouldn’t be surprising, given that, as my friend McAuley once pointed out to me, the Prayer Tree serves as a beautiful representation of the axis mundi – the cosmic axis, the center of the world. Often symbolized by a tree, the axis mundi, as both a celestial and geographic pillar, serves as a point of connection between sky (heaven) and earth, the higher and lower realms of consciousness, and the four compass directions.

As a representation of the axis mundi, the Prayer Tree serves as a rich symbol of groundedness, connection, and unity. I experience all of these qualities whenever I’m there.

Since moving to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis in October 2019, I don’t often get to visit and spend time at the Prayer Tree, which made my time there on the first day of July 2023 all the more special.

My images of the Prayer Tree are accompanied by prayers and reflections that are particularly meaningful to me at this time.

By virtue of the Creation
and, still more, of the incarnation,
nothing here below is profane for those
who know how to see.

– Teilhard de Chardin

Divine Beloved, change me into One who easily releases ALL that is stagnant and outlived. Whether those are physical objects, clutter, old beliefs, destructive habits, or useless emotions, transform me into One who easily releases what I no longer need.

May I be a clear vessel for Love to serve the highest good. May I release all that wishes to go, to make room for the New that is headed my way.

– Tosha Silver

Great Spirit,

I pray for the fearful and broken world of humanity.
I pray that all may seek and find deep within,
the flame-like seed of compassion

May this compassion be lovingly cultivated
by each one of us so that it blooms
as desires and actions for justice,
community, and a sustainable world
for all living things.

And may the fragrance of this blossoming
be recognized and celebrated
as peace in our lives
and in the world.

Amen.

– Michael Bayly

Always keep your blessings in front of you. It doesn’t mean that I inventory everything I have. It means I remain aware of all I’ve been given. Like breath. Like sight. Like friends, confidants, love, productivity, health, joy and even difficulties so that I might learn to employ other blessings to negotiate my way through them. When I can keep my blessings in front of me, it opens me to awareness of Source and gratitude. I don’t have to want anything because I’ve already been blessed.

– Richard Wagamese

Beloved and Antlered,
at one with all creation,
awaken me!

Seeker of the forest’s hidden paths
and the beauty within both beast and man;
guide me in the ways of deeper understanding.

Trusting one, accompanied by stag and dog,
you are both wild and tame, hard and soft;
teach me the ways of balance.

Twilight dancer, dwelling on thresholds
both within and beyond;
illuminate the sacred spaces in-between.

Ancient archetype of Holy Mystery,
to you I look for inspiration, courage, and hope.
May your presence be known to me always.

– Michael Bayly

Compassionate Creator,
within and beyond all things,
holy are your names.
May your ways of wisdom and compassion,
clarity and courage
be known and embodied by all.

Grant what we need each day
in bread and insight.
Loose the cords of mistakes that bind us
as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt.
Do not let surface things delude us
but free us from all that holds us back
from our true purpose.

From you radiates all life and love,
the song that beautifies all.
From age to age it renews.
May your compassion be the ground from which spring
all our actions of body, speech and mind.

Amen.

This is a version of the "Our Father" which, in large part, is Neil Douglas-Klotz’s translation of the Aramaic words of Jesus. I say “in large part” because I have adapted it somewhat. Douglas-Klotz’s version can be found in his book Prayers of the Cosmos: Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus’ Words. It can also be found online, here.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• The Prayer Tree (2017)
• The Prayer Tree . . . Aflame! (2018)
• December’s Snowy Start (2018)
• November Musings (2020)
• A Very Intentional First Day of the Year (2021)
• “Everything Is Saturated With the Sacred”
• “I Caught a Glimpse of a God”
• Guidelines for a Universal Mysticism: An Introduction | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII
• The Mysticism of Trees
• Mystics Full of Grace
• Holy Encounters Where Two Worlds Meet
• A Sacred Pause
• Aligning With the Living Light
• Mystical Participation

Photography: Michael J. Bayly (July 1, 2023).
Axis Mundi artwork: Christian Spencer (2020).

Quote of the Day

Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry reports on the upcoming global Catholic synod, which says it will address LGBTQ issues:

As far as New Ways Ministry can identify, no openly LGBTQ+ person or leader was selected to participate at the Synod assembly.

As has long been the norm in Catholic circles, we who are LGBTQ are left on the outside looking in, having our very lives and humanity dissected in official discussions in which we are not allowed to say a word.

At best, “allies” and “advocates” like Father James Martin are allowed to speak on our behalf – as if we do not have voices, cannot think or speak for ourselves, have nothing of importance to say.

The Catholic church could not do more to prove that it remains a boys’ club giving astonishing unmerited privilege to heterosexual (or heterosexual-posturing) males.

It’s no wonder so many of us who are LGBTQ have shrugged our shoulders and walked away.

Who needs a closed club like that calling itself a church promoting the teachings of Jesus?

– William D. Lindsey
via Facebook
July 8, 2023

Related Off-site Links:
Hope and Disappointment for LGBTQ+ People Spring from List of Synod Participants – Francis DeBernardo (New Ways Ministry, July 7, 2023).
Father James Martin Hopes to Bring LGBTQ Voices to the Synod – Claire Giangravé (Religion News Service via America, July 11, 2022).
Fr. James Martin, SJ, on Synod Invitation: “I Was Both Honored and Surprised” – Jesuits.org (July 11, 2022).

For more of William D. Lindsey at The Wild Reed, see:
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – April 22, 2016
• Questions “as the Light Shifts and Wanes”
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – November 12, 2015
• Laudato Si’ and the Question That Needs to Be Asked
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – June 12, 2015
• LGBT Catholics Respond to Synod 2014’s Final Report
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – September 15, 2014
• Across the U.S., Anti-Marriage Equality Laws and Amendments are “Toppling Like a Line of Dominoes”
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – July 7, 2011
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – May 5, 2011
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – April 26, 2011
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – January 24, 2011
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – November 24, 2010
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – November 17, 2010
• Reflections on the Life and Legacy of John Henry Newman
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – August 11, 2010
• The Catholic Challenge

See also:
• Sons of the Church: The Witnessing of Gay Catholic Men: A Discussion Guide
• Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality
• Stop in the Name of Discriminatory Ideology!
• Gay Men in the Vatican Are Giving the Rest of Us a Bad Name
• The Many Manifestations of God’s Loving Embrace
• Dew[y]-Kissed
• Somewhere in Between