Today
I read an excellent and well articulated article. It is called "With
Each Briefing, Trump Is Making Us Worse People":
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/each-briefing-trump-making-us-worse-people/609859/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share.
I am also called to expand on this article by adding a couple of
important reflections which I believe are missing but needed.
One
is to remember and truly understand how Mr. Trump is a symptom of
something so much greater than the horrors of this one presidency.
People who commit monstrous acts, and those who collude and enable
them, don’t just fall out of the sky and arise out of a vacuum.
It’s been a long, long process which has brought us to this late
stage immersion in the extreme violence embodied in sociopathic
malignant narcissism and all of its catastrophic consequences.
We’re
asked, I believe, to do the deep individual and collective shadow
work that has brought us to this place of electing in our leadership
such extreme spiritual impoverishment. What are the layers of
neglecting to recognize, address, heal, and transform the dark side
of our nation and instead choosing to cling to the false and
narcissistic narrative that America is the greatest nation on Earth?
To believe that all our problems just lie at the feet of ___________
(fill in Trump, republicans, democrats, or any other label) is to be
limited to the confines of a perspective that misses the truth of
where we are, how we got here, and how it is that we can collectively
move forward by using the pain of these horrifying and heartbreaking
times for our spiritual growth.
Which
brings me to the second experience that I’ve had in reading this
article. I’m reminded here of the choices we humans have in how we
respond to these incredibly sad and painful times. We can allow
ourselves to be pulled into harmful polarities — of democrats
versus republicans, Trump haters versus Trump lovers, us versus the
Other — and in some ways become mirrors for that which we distain
with all its finger pointing and blame, judgments and projections,
fears and anger. We can be pulled into and infected ourselves with
this spiritual impoverishment.
Or
we can choose differently and wisely.
I
have some deeply personal experiences in this regard having grown up
with a mother who was a malignant narcissistic. (This was prior to
the miraculous successful treatment for her mental illness at age
87.) Our mother’s severe mental illness played a direct role in my
twin brother’s tortured life and suicide when John was just 26. The
toxicity of her illness also contributed to my father’s compromised
immune system and death at age 60. And out of all this, I numbed my
heart with alcohol and a plethora of other addictions and could have
remained among the walking dead, deeply cut off from my heart and the
truth, beauty, and love embodied in who I most wholly am.
Instead
the spiritual impoverishment which killed my twin and could have
killed me was something that Grace and God (Goddess, Creator, Spirit,
the Great Mystery) — and my strong spirit, deep intentions, and the
support of so many wise and loving souls— have empowered me to
learn from, heal, and transform into my utter passion today for
compassion, kindness, truth, justice, and love.
Along
the way, I’ve learned that it isn’t what happens to us that is
most important. It’s what we do with it.
In
these times, if we’re only working to get rid of Trump or working
to get him re-elected, if we’re locked into absorbing the pain and
suffering and fears and anger, and if we’re not seeking a much
larger and deeply transformative picture and spiritual experience,
then we are missing the opportunities at hand for our human
evolution.
Everything
that is happening now at this time in our human history can be used
for our spiritual growth. Rather than spiritual impoverishment, we
can all seek the gifts of the alchemist — turning great suffering
and violence into the exact opportunity to discover the gifts held in
the depths of darkness. This is why I’m compelled to continuously
shine light on dark places. This is the shadow work that holds the
potential to shake us awake individually and as a people. I know in
my deepest being that the truth has the potential to set us all free.
And Love.
As
more and more of us come to recognize that there are opportunities and
blessings and wisdom and a depth of compassion and love held here in
the midst of what plagues us, we will change and evolve. We will
support ourselves and one another in peeling back the veils of our
illusions and instead together root into the paths which empower and
unite. Whether we are reacting or responding wisely — as best we
can and one day at a time — matters, and matters deeply.
All
around us are the many faces of ignorance and spiritual
impoverishment. And all around us and within us are the many faces of
truth, compassion, justice, and love. Let’s unite in that which
nourishes our full potential as loving planetary sisters and
brothers. This is my deep prayer. ❤ Molly
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