Time with Marianne Williamson: Thursday's Reflection

Some mornings I hang out with Joan Chittister or Jan Richardson or Joyce Rupp--three of my favorite writers on faith and spirituality. Yesterday morning, after watching the presidential debate the night before,  I decided to spend some quality time with Marianne Williamson.

Before going any further, I want to say this post is not an endorsement of her candidacy, but I am glad she had a place on the stage, and I appreciate her call to us to be "truth-tellers."

I gathered her books, settled into my Girlfriend Chair in the garret, and grazed through her words. I remembered how for a period of time I started my day reciting her "Morning Prayer" in her book Illuminata, A Return to Prayer.

                          Dear God,
                          I give this day to You...
                          I surrender to You my doings this day.
                          I ask only that they serve You and the healing
                                of the world.
                          May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to
                                give unto others wherever I go.
                          Make me the person You would have me be...
                          Make the world a safer, more beautiful place. 

I turned to a section in the book, first published in 1994, called "Prayers for the World." (Here's the end of that prayer.)

                          May we be repaired.
                          May we be forgiven.
                          May our children be blessed.
                          May we be renewed.
                          Dear God, please bless America.
                          Amen.
                                     from "Prayer for America"

and from "Prayers for the Leaders"

                         May their words be true...
                         May they grow beyond a shallow fight.
                         And thus may we all be taken with them into
                                 new light, new peace, new politics, new hope
                                 for all the world.
                         Amen. 

Williamson writes about hatred in America,

                  In the United States today, there is a widespread,
                  malignant thought form that other people are the
                  problem. Conservatives tend to blame liberals for
                  our problems, while liberals blame conservatives. 
                  The media blames almost everyone, and almost
                  everyone blames immigrants. Some people are
                  convinced homosexuals are the problem, while
                  others think that single mothers are the problem.
                  Still others think the Christian Right is the problem,
                  and far, far too many people think that our parents
                  were the problem. The entire culture has become a
                  hysterical blame session.  p. 219-220  

The labels or vocabulary may have changed since the 90's, but the blaming persists and the hatred has accelerated. 

                         May I hear not the voice for anger, but only
                               the voice for love...
                         Transform all darkness into light, dear God...
                                                               p. 220

When my mother was dying from colon cancer, she read Williamson's Everyday Grace, Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles. I remember that we talked about the statement, "A miracle is simply a shift in perception," and how the calm and peace she felt during those months seemed like a miracle to her. That's a blessed memory for me.

Today, however, I focus on another section in this book, published in 2002. 
              Our task is not to avoid or deny the darkness of the
              world, but to lift it into the light...Our function is not
              to ignore the darkness, but to transform it by becoming
              the light. The spiritual activist doesn't dwell on what's
              wrong, but at the same time we must know what's 
              wrong in order to surrender it. p. 90-91

As I listen to the news and the analysis after the debates, I hold Williamson's words in my heart, "Think of the news as humanity's prayer list." 

I don't know if Williamson should be the next president, but I am grateful to spend time with her, and holding her books in my hands, I pray. 

An Invitation
As we move further into the presidential contest, what are your prayers? I would love to know.