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"Anandamayi Ma's feminine qualities weren't just those of an individual woman. She was truly an incarnation of the divine Feminine, the Goddess. She embodied the qualities of the Mother that Maharaj-ji spoke of with such affection. She showed many different aspects of the Mother..." (Ram Dass, Be Love Now)
Every political concern is of fundamental importance because we have recognized the Divine in one another: why else speak of justice, of equity and equality, of nonviolence and peace? When governments strip away the rights of workers, this is a grave concern because we have recognized with Abraham Lincoln that "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." We have likewise learned that empathy and compassion are core human characteristics -- so to serve and build social justice is a divine endeavor! This, and not monopoly / corporate capitalism is the definition of true civilization. "Father Force", the antithesis of the "Soul Force" of the Divine Mother, shows itself in numerous ways (some of which have been previously mentioned in this blog). Further examples are as follows: In 2010, General Electric reported 14.2 billion dollars in profit, paid no taxes, and claimed a 3.2 billion tax benefit. Exxon reported 45 billion profit in 2009 and paid no taxes. GE and Google combined have $101 billion in reserves. (What would happen to America if they invested that 101 billion in jobs for American workers?) Perhaps the worst example of "Father Force" is the unfortunate fact that 14,000 molestation claims have been made since 1950 in the Catholic Church. Abuse related costs have reached 2.3 billion in the same period. The LA Diocese paid 660 million; San Diego Diocese 198 million; and the Jesuits just agreed to pay out 166.1 million. It is time to toss out every aspect of "Father Force" and replace it with the "Soul Force" of the Divine Mother. This can happen by building a new world movement. Read, study, and apply the social, revolutionary, activism of Mahatma Gandhi. Build "sacred circles" of 6 - 12 people who will engage and transform their own minds and hearts -- and then transform the world around them. "Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world."
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"I asked a man in prison once how he happened to be there and he said he had stolen a pair of shoes. I told him if he had stolen a railroad he would be a United States Senator." -- Mother Jones "Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness..." -- Arundhati Roy The poverty lived by Yeshua is a sign of the Holy One's promise of liberation for the oppressed, the poor, the marginalized, and the abandoned in love and justice. When asked, "Are you he who is to come?" Yeshua answers, "Go and tell what you have seen: the blind see, the lame walk, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them"... a kind of universal health care with the surprise of Love! If the Master practiced health care for the poor, why don't we do likewise? Essential Reading: The Sermon on the Mount (for the long perspective) The Illuminated Rumi / Coleman Barks, Michael Green One Song / Michael Green Be Here Now / Ram Dass Give Me Liberty / Naomi Wolf Gandhi the Man / Eknath Eswaren The Grapes of Wrath / John Steinbeck The Essential Chomsky / Noam Chomsky The Great Turning / David Korten People First Economics / Ransom, Baird Screwed / Thom Hartmann The Cry of the Poor / Eduard Loring The Exception To The Rulers / Amy Goodman Mary Harris, "Mother Jones" to the miners and workers she aided and organized, was born in 1837 in Ireland. Her family emigrated to the United States in 1848. She became a fiery activist on behalf of the workers of this country. She was a staunch union organizer, organizing the wives and children of strikers to demonstrate on their behalf. She also worked to eliminate child labor. She became known as "the most dangerous woman in America." When introduced once as a "great humanitarian", she corrected the speaker with, "I'm a hell-raiser"! Check out JimHightower.com for another hell-raiser. What will it take to get you, and keep you, fired up? There's a whole-lotta hell that needs a mighty raising!  "Power is the strength required to bring about social, political, and economic change... Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." -- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The crisis confronting America is, essentially, that of community versus corporation. One would have us cooperate into our shared possibilities. The other would have us surrender our spirit and life unto their corporate profit ledger. Since corporations are now considered persons, our real personhood in our humanity is at risk of being "privatized" by the corporate rulers that be. This is no small thing -- everything is now on the line. Awareness of the risk of this moment is essential in order to mobilize a movement of resistance. True power liberates into justice. True power lifts up the downtrodden and weak. True power creates paths of transformation for both persons and communities. True power tends all of us towards equality and our full development. We need to organize: this American experiment is not for the taking by monopolistic corporations! We need to say it loud and we need to say it clear: democracy now! Democracy Now!  "Property is theft." (St. Basil) Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, produce half the world's food, yet earn only 10 percent of the world's income and own less than 1 percent of the world's property. More than 100 million children in the developing world have no basic education; 60 percent of them are girls. More than 40 million people are living with AIDS. More than 12 million people die annually from lack of water; 1.1 billion do not have access to clean water; 2.4 billion live without proper sanitation. In the developing world, 91 children out of every 1,000 die before their fifth birthday. The income of the richest 1 percent of people in the world is equal to that of the poorest 57 percent. At least 1.2 billion people in the world live on less than a dollar a day. Half the world's people live on less than two dollars a day. Six million children under the age of five die every year as a consequence of malnutrition. More than 840 million people in the world are malnourished. It is the personal responsibility of everyone to change these facts as quickly as possible. We can build a world of justice and peace! If we don't, who will? "I am criticized often for my continual attacks upon the rich. Yes: because the rich continually attack the poor." (St. John Chrysostom) How are you going to help us turn towards justice?  |
AuthorRobert Daniel Smith was privileged to serve the homeless and marginalized for 30 years in California. He is living now almost within shouting distance of the Twin Cities. He is a poet, artist, writer, and long-time Companion of the Way still dreaming... Archives
May 2022
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