They say at some point in their lives great leaders experience a "dark night of the soul," or a period in life when "your feet, knees, and face scrape and stick to the proverbial bottom." It is a time when even your soul feels forsaken. Ultimately, the dark night is not about the suffering that is inflicted from outside oneself, even though that could trigger it. It is about the existential suffering rooted from within. St. John of the Cross, the 16th century Carmelite priest, described it as a confrontation, or a healing and process of purification of what lies within on the journey toward union with God.
"Whenever you face trials of any kind," explained the apostle James, "consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in northing." (James 1:2-4)
Evangelical leadership guru, Dr. J. Robert Clinton, says the dark night is a key process God initiates in the lives of leaders for the building of faith and strength of character. Many have waxed poetic about whether President Obama has experienced his own dark night. Others have wondered if perhaps the events of the last few days, or the last two years, might be moving his soul toward the blessed struggle. But these reflections are not about our president: They are about us -- they are about our nation.
On Thursday, August 4th, the day after "Debt Ceiling D-day," the Dow Jones industrial average fell 500 points. On Friday, August 5th, Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating from AAA to AA+. By the closing bell on Monday, August 8th, the Dow Jones industrial average had fallen another 634 points. The markets rallied on Tuesday and closed 430 points up, then fell again on Wednesday, closing 520 down. This market struggle, after weeks of wrangling over debt ceilings, has left me wondering if God might be moving us into a national dark night.
We are a nation woven together by eclectic threads of common faith in the truth that all people are created equal. Again and again, our darkest hours have come when elements within our own national body have tested this faith. They espoused and lived according to one basic lie: People are not equal; some are inherently worth more than others.
In America's darkest hours, social movements rose up and called us to face down the lies and embrace God's truth.
Abolitionists called Americans to understand that no matter how dependent our economy is on the free labor of other human beings, slaves are human beings -- walking images of God in our midst, and they should be free.
Suffragists called us to see that the world would not end if the traditional order of society was reformed to acknowledge women's spiritual need for, and equal right to, self-sovereignty -- a right most powerfully demonstrated in the right to vote.
Labor unionists reminded us of the spiritual truth that profits are not more important than people. Working people to the bone over twelve hour days, for pennies on the dollar, under oppressive work conditions exploits the image of God in our midst. In fact, work was given to us in the garden of Eden (paradise). It should bless humanity -- not curse it.
And, finally, Civil Rights workers called America back to the root of the root: Some of us are not more valuable than others. We are all made in the image of God, and as such, we are all worthy of equal protection under the law.
All of these American movements were spearheaded by people of faith. Their faith in God, in the truth of scripture, and in the example of Jesus' life led them to do as Nehemiah did; to lament the lies distorting our national body, to take responsibility for our complicity in them, and to forsake them.
What is the lie today? How's this? "Some people have to be sacrificed on the altar of economic health." Sounds reasonable, huh? In the midst of dire times, dire measures must be taken to get our economic health back on track. Yes, this does sound reasonable, but it's a lie.
Dire times do warrant dire measures, but here's the trillion dollar question: Will we cut, cap, and balance our investment in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which will make up more than 50 percent of our nation's deficit by the year 2019? Or will we cut food stamps from the hands of the vulnerable, cap protections against toxins in our water supplies, and allow imbalance that favors the super-rich to go unchecked in our tax structure?
I believe God is leading our generation into its own dark night. We have a choice. We can pretend all is well, and continue to look lies in the face and call them truth. Or we can do as Nehemiah did; lament the lie, and then forsake it.
Follow Lisa Sharon Harper on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisasharper
Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: "There is no alternative". She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.
I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider. Please click on the following link. It will take you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?" which was published by the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:
http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm
John Steinsvold
Perhaps in time the so-called dark ages will be thought of as including our own.
--Georg C. Lichtenberg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q&feature=related
And even though I am a progressive, the answer is CLEARLY not to piously throw more money at our social problems, while our system remains in status quo.
We need much better thinking, and a much more focused action plan, than that.
I encourage everyone to watch Dylan Ratigan's show on MSNBC. He's got his finger on the ROOT CAUSE of our problems - problems that have been brewing for many years.
Essentially, our politicians from both parties are bought and paid for by our banks, by Wall St, and by our giant corporations. (And of course, so our our churches). Everything depends on the continued influx of money into an institution where money should not be flowing at all. That's why - through democratic and republican administrations, we cannot elect political leaders who are beholden only to their own conscience.
Forget the "prayer and fasting" nonsense. Forget the "circle of protection" baloney. At the end of the day, these just become more money-making schemes for Sojourners to write about in their mass mailings requesting donations.
What we need instead is a constitutional amendment that will remove ALL money from our entire political system - total abstinence that will force the American junkie body politic to detox entirely - and bring in a completely new kind of legislators - and a new kind of president.
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Oh wow I saw that video where he tells it like it is. He sure didn't hold back. It was a good video!
Similarly, right now while you see a few religious leaders speaking up to protect social programs for the poor and less fortunate, you are much more likely to see people on the religious right agitating to stop these same programs. Just look at where Fox News falls on these questions.
People generally do what they want to do, and then look for justification afterwards. Religion provides lots of cover for all kinds of malicious activity.
god does not lead us anywhere we are leading ourselves due to several factors: greed, selfishness, arrogance, exceptionalism, wars, imperialism, capitalism, and of course our unawareness of reality.
what we sow we reap or as most call it karma.
the system of infinite is perfect or better understood by we who are finite as perfectly imperfect.
most religious folks have made a god in their own image. the human ego is that deceptive.
as twain said god made man in his image then man returned the favor. things have not changed humans still want a god made in their image.
ok if you want to know what god looks like read below:
(A young boy was intensely concentrating on drawing a picture.
His mother said: “what are you doing.”
The child responded: “I am drawing a picture of God.”
His mother responded: “no one knows what god looks like.”
The young boy answered her proudly: “well they will when I am finished.”)
Thank you so much for your heartfelt, insightful article. It is precisely what all Americans should read and understand.
God bless you, dear one, and more power to you.
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