Evan Eason
I couldn’t agree more, and if the class size remains small in the future, it might be worth an experiment of all of us in the class sharing how we came into our faiths, or ways of knowing. It might even be a necessary condition to get to the feelings and experiencing of deeper dialogue.
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I agree with both of you. Our culture is so disconnected from a sense of place. Place, or land, gives us tremendous momentum towards understanding relationality. The ease with which we travel great distances really muddies the water in terms of where to focus our relations. We end up trying to find those who see the world similarly, and in doing so, get very confused about where our attention should go. We miss the gifts of so many people, and they, in turn, miss our gifts.
Thank you for your encouragement Dr. Daniels! I’m afraid that while I try to live up to the 4 R’s in my interactions with oppressed peoples, I often fail otherwise. It’s so hard to escape the scars sometimes. I know that the level of displacement and weariness can be so profound. Many of our elders do not show us this part, but if you are with them long enough, you see the level of exhaustion it takes to give such profound energy in a world that is often unable to recognize it. On the one hand, I know that I must treat everyone with the 4 R’s. On other hand, I feel like I must do something to help others recognize the difference between holding light that is reinforced mightily in society versus holding light when you are seen as the devil. The good news is that there is opportunity for amazing relationality. The bad news is that we must recognize how contagious oppression is in order to get there.
Thanks for your thoughts Eric. I experience a similar difficulty. While I understand the desire to apply the term God to every religion, to try to make it all-encompassing, it is problematic. It suggests an overarching unified force. Many indigenous belief systems include multiple, separate mysterious forms/representations. They are not always working together. Sometimes, it is critical that they are working towards different, even opposing, goals. Both terms, monotheism and polytheism, create strong expectations about reality. I agree with Dr. Daniels, that many indigenous peoples may not be polytheistic, but I certainly don’t believe the heading of monotheism is a good fit either.
I’m so glad to hear you highlight the innumerable forms and dimensions. Traditional forms of dances that represent these forms are amazing and critical to the culture. But the invitation into profound active imagination is stronger in this tradition than most realize. Dancing out the visions of local healers has one of the most impactful experiences of my life.
The question may be, What is the difference between the two? Jesus is one of the greatest angels to ever grace us. Where is Jesus in the eagle? Is the eagle’s ability to see everything, potentially all suffering, like Jesus?
I was with a curandero recently. She did not know me well but asked me to participate in a ceremony. She was concerned that I would not allow myself to experience what was happening. So I sang a song. She shared with me that her ways of knowing had to be concealed under the wrappings of Christianity in order to survive. But the most important thing she said, Jesus is an angel, and all angels are welcome.
Bill, This is an incredibly beautiful post and what relationality is about. This is the type of engagement necessary to be truly influenced by other ways of knowing. Thank you so much! All my relations!
I read the other day that we are 98% unconscious. From my perspective, our minds are incredibly full though. I want to suggest that the magic in our bodies has been denied. Our intuitions have been severed with out of control nervous systems. How could we hear what the eagle is saying with so much baggage? Whitehead goes to great lengths to disavow magic, and yet, it is precisely what he is talking about. How can feeling that truly connects to the feeling of the eagle be anything other than magic?
Hi Jeremy, Yes, the Franciscans were very close. I was recently in the border town of El Paso, TX, directly across from Juarez. I got to visit a Franciscan seminary there, and it was a healing experience for me. There was no ego and no preaching at others. The focus was on relationships with other first.
I’m a psychologist, educator and occasional wisdom teacher. I’ve done a good bit of work in managing large treatment programs with active duty and veterans. I was an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies (American Indian/Indigenous Studies) in the Department of Social Transformation Studies before I got licensed as a psychologist. Anyway, other crap too, but you get the picture.
Hi Bill! I am with you on your insights about Israel and other countries. This democracy matrix is one of many. More importantly, it is from 2020 and newer rankings are available. While the US continues to promote itself as the world’s greatest democracy, it ranks 25th or below in terms of the strength of its democracy in many rankings. The world definitely doesn’t see the US as impressively after the 2016 election and the January 6th debacle. I think I would need to aggregate many rankings to develop better accuracy.