Following is a continuation of my Letter to President Biden begun in yesterday’s DM
Dear President Biden,
Your voluntary departure from the presidential race would open the door for a younger and more vigorous candidate to carry your “right” values into the future. You can retire as an elder statesman who can offer your wisdom to the next Democratic president.
You have demonstrated that you actually believe in democracy perhaps best defined by Abraham Lincoln as government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Not a government of billionaires, by billionaires, and for billionaires. (Your opponent in this race has actually told his fossil fuel executive donors that if they would gift him with one billion dollars, he would see to it that most all the regulations holding back the increase of climate change were tossed out.)
Your accomplishments as president will long be remembered as you leaned in favor of ordinary citizens in the many laws you passed on behalf of them. You acquired an admirable and memorable record of achievement even under a very lean majority in the Senate.
Your four years in office were very full of achievement and that will be your legacy along with this important choice to let younger people lead America and wage the fight against extremely dark forces that are at the gate eager to dismantle our democracy and sell it to the highest bidder. Forces I have, quite appropriately, I think, called the “anti-Christ.”
You said that you know the difference between right and wrong. It is wrong to stay in this race, it is right to step away and turn it over to a younger generation. It is that simple and that clear.
Please have the humility to know that it is time to step down. Do not do what Justice Ruth Ginsburg did, staying beyond her time. You know how that sad story ended. Do not poison your legacy like she did by clinging overly long and rendering it easier for neofascism to take over America.
Remember the teaching of Meister Eckhart: “The soul grows by subtraction, not by addition.” Do not be afraid to Let Go. It is the right thing to do and the sooner the better so new candidates can emerge.
Grateful for your years of service,
Rev. Matthew Fox
See Matthew Fox, “Sermon’ Thirty-Six: Everyone and Aristocrat, Everyone a Royal Person,” in Fox, Passion For Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart, pp. 510-530.
And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
And Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion.
Banner Image: President Joe Biden (left) and former President Donald Trump. (Photo: Gage Skidmore, Shealah Craighead, Krassotkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons). Reproduced on USC Price/Sol Price School of Public Policy.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you see Biden’s stepping down and opening the presidential field to a new generation as part of Eckhart’s teachings about Letting Go and of the soul growing by subtraction instead of addition?
Recommended Reading
Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
Matthew Fox’s comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart’s sermons is a meeting of true prophets across centuries, resulting in a spirituality for the new millennium. The holiness of creation, the divine life in each person and the divine power of our creativity, our call to do justice and practice compassion–these are among Eckhart’s themes, brilliantly interpreted and explained for today’s reader.
“The most important book on mysticism in 500 years.” — Madonna Kolbenschlag, author of Kissing Sleeping Beauty Goodbye.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the meaning and practice of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate activity.
“Well worth our deepest consideration…Puts compassion into its proper focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register
14 thoughts on “Letter to President Biden, Continued”
We do not ‘let go’ of our eternal and endless soul, neither yours nor President Biden’s. There are many young in this world who have yet to come into the wisdom written on their soul. Biden has paid his dues, is in touch with his sould and age is not a factor at this point.
Nice try ‘Reverend’ Matthew Fox by employing Trump’s trick of ‘doubling down’ on your disastrous DM yesterday with another similar today. I would have thought that in reading the comments yesterday, some consideration of them, let alone ‘no mention at all’ today, would have softened your view.
If what you have written both yesterday and today are your true beliefs on ageism versus accomplishment (substance) over form (one performance), maybe it is time for you to consider resigning from this post, now before readers go elsewhere. And by reading the comments yesterday, some are ready to ‘fall away’ very soon. — BB.
Long before the debate I thought, along with many others, that Joe Biden should not run for re-election. It is no fault of his. He hasn’t done anything wrong, it’s simply a matter of what age does to one’s ability and capacity to do a tough job. FBI agents have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Airline pilots – 65. There are some jobs that demand absolute clarity of action and judgement. President Biden is well past that point. In the debate he wasn’t lost, he was confused.
Texas Rep. Doggett is also calling on Biden to step aside. So, I reviewed your post. I am not swayed by the teaching of Meister Eckhart; Biden is not motivated by his ego but by his sense of responsibility.
We agree that another Trump presidency (far-right dictatorship) would be disastrous.
Were we disagree is that there is presently another candidate who could get more votes than Biden.
Doggett alluded to senators who are polling at a higher rate than Biden, but did not mention who. Bernie Sanders? I love Bernie and would have him run if I believed he would get enough votes. I want to live in the USA of his vision. He would lose the votes of many who are not yet ready for democratic socialism. Adam Schiff? Nancy Pelosi? Their base is not wide enough.
Pundits expect Biden to lose the youth vote, especially those who blame him for the horrendous carnage between Hamas and Israel. Those young people are right about war crimes but were misinformed as to the role that Biden played given all the historical, economic, and regional factors.
One hopeful sign I see is that the Republican Party is in chaos and is tearing itself apart. I do not want to see that in the Democratic Party.
The two enclosed video interviews by Democratic leaders are very thoughtful. Ultimately it is the decision of Joe Biden, his family and advisers, and the Democratic leadership need to finalize a strategy to how best to defeat Trump in this upcoming presidential election because of the existential threat Trump poses to our democracy and how that would destructively affect our nation and the world.
As part of the strategy, I wish the Democratic Party leaders and press would revive attention to a book written during Trump’s presidency by several prominent psychiatrists, psychologists,
and other mental health experts about Trump’s symptoms of personality disorders that explain his pathological lying, narcissism, egocentricity, need for power/control, and lack of
empathy. Also, two important small books recently written by a Yale historian need to be highlighted to the public about the warning danger signs of societies that allow authoritarian dictatatorships/fascism to grow, like it did with Nazism in German society.
I have been performing a Great Spell for the Country, since Yule of 2016. In light of recent developments, I have revised it to include the following invocation:
“HERMES, we have a special request of You:
Enter into the mind of President Biden, bide there,
And keep his wits sharp and quick, his tongue eloquent,
With ready responses to parry every attack,
Wise decisions to thread the thorniest of international needles,
And persuasion to tout the good he has done for We The People,
For as long as we need him to stand between us and the dictator.”
(The rest of the script is available upon request.)
Yes, I am interested in the rest of the script. Thank you! crumbaut@hotmail.com
Really-what happened to ‘separation of church and state’. I always enjoy your thoughts and think about your meditations. So, here is mine. Disappointed in your comments on President Biden. Social Media seems to promote ideas that that age and experience is not appreciated. What attracts readers are the outrageous, negative ‘news’. What to you propose?? Values aren’t real without solutions that include what you share – ‘justice/compassion’.
Yes, it appears that President Biden ought to step aside. It may be risky to go with a new candidate, but even more risky to take a chance with Joe Biden.
Biden is the candidate who has the party’s financial war chest and super delegate backing tied up. He has a campaign coffer of money that cannot be transferred to anyone legally other than Harris. Anyone besides her would have to start from scratch, and hope to raise enough money and start a whole ad campaign in an extremely compressed time frame. That would be chaos, and the Trump camp is salivating over the all-too-frequent Democratic party’s tendency to splinter off into a circular firing squad.
It’s also worth mentioning that the people who went to all the primaries to nominate him were in full possession of the facts of other potential nominees. In spite of his age, and in admiration of his abilities, achievements, and honorable ethics, WE CHOSE HIM, WITH KAMALA and the BIDEN TEAM of experts who’ve accomplished so much in the last 4 years, ALMOST ALL of which has NOT been covered by the mainstream press.
We need to be focused on MOTIVATING and educating all the young voters on what the stakes are and just how important it is to stand TOGETHER as a WALL AGAINST THE PROJECT 2025 SUPREME COURT TAKEOVER that is ALREADY unfolding.
A response to those who vehemently disagreed with my letter (which was two DM’s and not one) to encourage Biden to step down as presidential candidate. First, you are entitled to your opinion; as I am to mine. Second. 75% of Americans agree with me—that he demonstrated last Thursday that he is in too bad shape to take on Trump (and also Netanyahu) I am sorry to say. Third, I think we all want to beat Trump and his Neo-fascists so I don’t think we should cannibalize one another. Fourth, It turns out that people close to the White House report that 15 to 20 times this past year he exhibited similar episodes as he did last Thursday. One of these was Bob Woodward. See this: https://www.thedailybeast.com/watergate-reporter-carl-bernstein-biden-has-bad-days. Fifth, read this: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/james-zogby-replace-biden-convention/
There are many people in the Democratic Party who can stand up to Trump, promote the achievements of Biden’s administration and win this election. They all are running ahead of Biden when tested against Trump. As the article above indicates, having an open convention would means lots of free press and excitement would ensue for the new candidate who will have the full party’s backing and that of many others to put a stop to the ‘Project 2025’ blueprint for a Trumpian Neo-fascist takeover by the likes of the Heritage Foundation, Leonardo Leo, Opus Dei, SCOTUS and others. Sixth, even Nancy Pelosi is saying that we ought to be discussing and debating this issue openly.
Thanks for listening.
Where is the data that 75% of Americans support your view? I do not believe the percentage you stated. My question to you Matthew is who are you going to support/vote for? I along with millions and millions of Americans will be SUPPORTING and voting to save our democracy which will be a vote for President Biden and he will win in November! The light will negate the darkness and democracy will win over tyranny and President Biden will be victorious. PERIOD!!!
“To everything there is a season”
I will add that my deep desire is for the anti-Christ to step down too.
If not Biden, then WHO?????? You have wasted too much valuable time talking about the younger generation. There is no time to waste. It is time to have courage and strength and come together to support Biden. Every one of us who continues to speculate on a replacement is giving Trump evidence of our weakness. Trump feeds on weakness. It may sound corny but IT IS TIME TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS!!!! We must support the BIDEN TEAM in any way possible. When we work together we can accomplish great things. To Matthew Fox: are you on the Biden team?? We would like to know where you stand???
I couldn’t of said it any better John. I agree with you 100%.