AN ASTONISHING NATION FACES ITS ORIGINAL DARKNESS..January 6, 2021

 As a culture we remain significantly unconscious of our original national sin of racism. Our refined rational mind just can't fully face it. We actually know, at various levels of consciousness, how real and egregious such believed ethnic superiority is and the divisions it demands.

Unfortunately removing the segregation of public facilities in the mid sixties only worked on the symotoms, not the racist heart problem of our white majority. It remains as strong as ever as the unspoken fear that 'people of color are going to take stuff of mine and give it to undeserving others making me poorer, holding me and my family back.' That essentially is now the heart problem and big national lie. In this way it's no more complicated than an older sibling being jealous and fearful of a new child in the family.

It is deeply psychological and continues to eat at America's heart. It's in the faces of those who stormed our capitol just minutes before  Congress was to approve the election of a non racist president. It was done in the hope of intimidating Congress from doing it's sworn job thus allowing Trump to stay in unlawful power. It was only a dream-wish. We can be very thankful Congress did not cower in fear that night but came right back and certified the legal President.. 

But our central problem remains maybe stronger than ever.  It is nearly in the full open which is a spiritual/psychological improvement for it is more honest. None of us can for long hide from behind our white status much longer. Citizen Donald Trump has simply become a living symbol of keeping white supremacy alive in America. 

I suspect this 'uprising'  in following the Trumpian symbol is another last gasping effort to cling to white superiority by a third of us. This in a nation destined for something far more admirable and glorious. This is my living hope. I know of no overt racist organization that does not strongly support Mr Trump and for the open cause of white supremacy. He has purposely and consistently emboldened them culminating in the seige on our Capitol January 6, 2021.

At varying levels of consciousness I suspect all white adults know our real heart truth. And it will have to be faced for its ugliness, maybe sooner than later, by us all. We will finally 'see' our own collective shadow clearly. God help us each to find our own truth and courage. And may we not foolishly spill blood and waste treasure due to a lack of consciousness of our own long-time truth.

TRUST IN WHAT IS FAR LARGER...January 12, 2021

As unpopular and misunderstood as the word 'religion' is in our USA culture it is the large world religions which have in all historic time given cohesive, however imperfct and eventually after a few thousand years becoming irrelevant, form to human affairs.

So should a 'new religion' spontanelusly yet in continuity with the past arise out of our present chaos it would bring into our world a new,  not yet imagined, cultural perspective with new norms for the cooperative affairs of humankind. That is the potential power of the religious instinct that is a part of our collective human make up. That is why it is dangerous, and perhaps absurd, to succumb to the idea of 'getting rid of religion', as if we could. 

So it may be that 'religion', in this psychological/spiritual sense, is the only possible way for a truly relevant and compassionate 'new and better' world order to come into existence.  

This way, when it happens,  it would be commonly and humbly known, 'this has come from God '- not primarily from our personal or collective ego strength, ingenuity and brain power. (As important as  these are.)

Presently most Americans are of either the practical secular view that our best mortal intelligence can find a way to a new evolutionary world epoch or the many very conservative religious folks who think their God will force itself on the whole world.

Neither of these attitudes trust in the power of the more authentic timeless religious one of doing what one can, loving as best one knows how, while full heartedly trusting that something in us all is at play which is far larger than our mortal ego efforts.

THE POWER OF LIVING SYMBOL FOR GOOD OR BAD...January 3, 2021

 A Reflection: To be deeply and irreversibly moved by a living symbol(compared to an object which has become only a  socially approved 'sign'  to say be worn as jewelry) is to become 'religious' minded in the richest meaning of the word. This change can begin from either inner or outer experience and it becomes both.

This is how the human psyche is moved to a higher consciousness. And if such transforming is not balanced by the grace of genuine compassion it risks  becoming horribly heartless and ruthless. 

Living symbols, which arrive spontaneously in the human collective mind as needed, have the power to alter the human point of view and values, even against the human conscious will.  They can stimulate the highest or lowest human  motivations and behaviors. 

Human consciousness of these spiritual/deeply psychological dynamics is what makes the difference in the living symbol being the catalyst for good or evil.  On the dangerous side they can definitely create a collective movement that has the same one-mindedness as a religious cult. Only increased human consciousness, psychological awareness of what is happening,  can provide what's needed for persons to 'see' the difference.