I am not familiar with the work of Marianne Williamson. She is presently one of the Democratic candidates for president who has been able to demonstrate that she has followers and she is able to generate donations - the present standard for a stage appearance.
I bring her up because she makes me think of what could be an interesting aspect of these debates - even when we come to the debates between the Republican and Democratic candidates. I would not call it a third party - that is a tainted term. I will call it another voice. It is the voice that many people turn to when they are trying to be grounded. It is the voice of people who ponder the well-being of the earth and all that is therein. They do not have to be people of faith - yet that is where we often will hear such voices. It is also the voice of tried and trues atheist and those who have deliberately pulled out of the domains of organized religion in order be attached to a vision of peace that is often tossed to the side.
As much as I have heard folks discount Williamson's presence on stage, in my opinion she did offer the most critical voice to the listening public and the other candidates. Embedded in one of the few times she was given the mic, she warned us of the dark psychic force of collective hatred. She was playing the important role of Toto pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz and the young child saying what needed to be said in The Emperor's New Clothes. The games of politics often lead us in circles - never moving ahead - just spinning in the same space. It is a place that seeks to settle for what I would call the demonic. I think it is what Paul called the principalities and powers. It may also be what I have learned to call the mechanism of culture that no one dare counter - less you be crucified.
Imagine this. MSNBC or CNN or FOX gives a panel made up of people who are respected within their circles of faith or their work in society for being wise - insightful - prophetic - courageous - nonpartisan - and let them offer comments and suggestions and critiques and take the clothes off of that which is down right demonic but dressed up to shine on stage. No scapegoating will be allowed. No us-them will be tolerated. No party line or party talking points can be tossed around. The voices of the candidates must be met with the fire of truthfulness that benefits all of us. I would expect that candidates would be called out - dissected - and their comments put under the fire of a wisdom that most of us do not want to hear when we are so tied to this party or that - this race or that - this social status or that - this line of work or that - this neighborhood or that.... We would also have to make sure that the folks on this panel were not like the court prophet of the Hebrew scriptures - those who went along with and stood behind the powers of the day. We would want ones more like the Great Prophets or Jesus or - yes, put your prophet person here. Trust me, the false prophets would be completely exposed if they started spreading the manure of the voices of hate or political correctness or any other voice that continues to build the status quo of what we have learned to accept as how we must live.
This would not be a religious show. Just as debates do not need a live audience present, there would be no live audience here. But afterwards, let the pundits go after them - let the editorial writer have their say - let the teachers and preachers within congregations quote them and challenge them. I don''t want any of them to be people of faith whose jobs are now tightly wound up in the mechanism of political parties or the web of religious money and status or the seats at news tables under the moniker of analyst/consultant.
You may say, I'm a dreamer. Yes. I'd like to think I am being a bit foolish. I know that no one would be pleased with the selection of this panel. So, select a second one for the next debate. Or bring the panel together for a special event and let folks listen in to the back and forth, the places of complete disagreement and complete agreement, and places of compromise and clarification.
Have this panel take on questions from the public. What damage could it do. Instead, what a gift it would be to people who care about the well-being of our country and the well-being of all who make up the land of the free and the home of the brave.
TRRR
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