I woke up this morning and realized today is the new moon, one of my designated publishing days. It took me by complete surprise probably because of a swirl of personal and collective events the last couple of weeks.
But I feel it’s important to be faithful to that rhythm, so I’m tapping out a few words to share here. Please forgive their imperfect nature… this is the more ‘raw’ version of my writing, and I’m still digesting so much of what has been going on recently. Taking time to digest rather than simply react also feels important.
Like many of you, I have been consumed by the news over the past week. First, the U.S. presidential debate in which the candidate I plan to vote for, Joe Biden, completely imploded and showed deeply concerning signs that he may not be up for the job. Then the tsunami of public opinion about that occurrence. Then the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to essentially allow a president to do whatever the hell he wants (and let us note it has only been ‘he’ over 248 years), legality or morality be damned.
While none of this is all that surprising, it still feels shocking to the system. As someone who grew up in the United States in the 60s and 70s, there was still some sense of optimism and possibility about this country. Idealism, even… the “shining city on a hill” metaphor, referred to first by John F. Kennedy and then Reagan.
And even if that myth was based in denial and delusion, it was a real feeling which has over these recent years has been completely obliterated.
That is not a bad thing, however. Maturity is always a process of waking up to the delusions we’ve been living with, and being willing to step out of them into something more authentic, even if that path is rocky and uncomfortable.
In the case of U.S. history, this is a time when many of us have been waking up to the foundation of white supremacy that this country was literally built on, which included human trafficking and enslavement of Black people, and theft of land from Indigenous people as well as their physical and cultural genocide. This is reality. The foundations of this country have always had that deadly rot. A reading of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson offers a sobering lesson in this. And if you have a chance to watch the film Origin by Ava Duvernay, which is about the book and its author, please do. It’s incredible.
Where do we go from here?
First and foremost right now I think of harm reduction. What is the choice we can make in November that will reduce the devastation that is already in process? And what is the most strategic way to ensure that choice is successful? I found this article by
to be really helpful in thinking through a scenario which could work:Beyond the election, much greater questions and possibilities await us. To be frank, I am not attached to the idea that this formation of “The United States” has to go on. I have a feeling there are ways of structuring ourselves that are more humane and honoring of our diverse communities. Perhaps we’ll explore that together soon.
In the meantime, I encourage all of us to double up on our contemplative practices because we are heading into some very turbulent waters, and the way we navigate them will make all the difference in what unfolds down the road. This is the true meaning of karma — our actions now will plant the seed for certain kinds of energies and actions in the future.
One more reading recommendation — my dear friend and Zen Buddhist teacher Roshi Joan Halifax offered up some brilliant wisdom for these times in this July 4th letter.
Finally, I want to express my appreciation to all of you for your support for my writing, and for all you do each day to grow Beloved Community in your world. Each of us has something to offer during these times and it is in your ‘showing up’ that we engage in the healing of ourselves and the world. Thank you for showing up, over and over.
Thank you for this! Struggling a bit to find my bearings after the last couple of weeks. Glad I found you here.
It's like watching a train crash. You know it's coming and you can't look away. My heart is so heavy with the state of this country. Sadly the white supremest patriarchy is strong. We, the ones who care about equality, bodily autonomy, and love for our communities need to be stronger. Self-care first. I will not let the hate of others close my heart. It feels heavy though.