We meditated last week on the role that Resentment and Scapegoating play in our current politics—a role that characterized the politics of Germany in the 1930’s under Hitler. It’s imperative that we remember this.
We meditated on how a person or a group of persons move on from resentment by way of Letting Go or Forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not about altruism, nor is it about shutting one’s eyes to justice and injustice. It is, however, about moving on with one’s life and about finding freedom so that living is possible again.
I once met a young woman who had been sexually abused from the age of eight into her teen years. To deal with her pain she wrote a poem. Its essence is about letting go and forgiveness and moving on with her life.
Following is the poem written by that teenager dealing with the reality of her abuse … and of her freedom.
TEARS FROM THE PAST
When I was a child and wanted to cry,
The tears were dry and I didn’t know why.
Then I grew and some would flow,
But the reasons for my pain,
I wouldn’t let show.
Again I grew and so did my pain,
I thought for sure I was to blame.
When I close my eyes a vision appears,
It captures my thoughts and brings back the fears
Of nights when I slept and then was awoke.
By a powerful man with his hands at my throat
He would say very softly, ‘Don’t say a word.’
These are the times I was never heard.
An innocent child,
With tears from the past.
The silence is broken, my words heard at last.
To whom it may concern; might be you, you, and you.
My shame is no more,
Because the struggle is through.
Now I look in the mirror and all that I see…
Is a beautiful woman and her destiny.
What would that be, you might ask?
She’s grown from the pain, and let go of the past.
Might SCOTUS, might Trump, might MAGA, learn something from this brave act of healing? Might they get over their Resentment by learning to forgive and thus “grow from the pain”? Might losing an election and expanding the supreme court assist in that healing?
Might citizens who vote and assist getting out the vote, for those who do not want to see a society built on Resentment and Scapegoating take over America, be part of the healing process?
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society, pp. 290-292.
See Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake, Natural Grace: dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science, pp. 98f.
See Fox, Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election.
To read a transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner image: “Love & Hope are stronger than hate & fear.” Image by Tantek Celik on Flickr. Creative Commons.
Queries for Contemplation
What do you learn from meditating on the poem, “Tears From the Past”? What might our culture learn at this difficult time of political Resentment and Scapegoating?
Recommended Reading
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
Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness, and the Soul in Spirituality and Science
by Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake
Natural Grace, a 208 page inspired dialogue between theologian Matthew Fox and scientist Rupert Sheldrake, unites wisdom and knowledge from unconventional angles. Considering themselves heretics in their own fields, Matthew and Rupert engage the conversation from postmodern and post-postmodern perspectives, deconstructing both religion and science—while setting the foundation for a new emerging worldview. Having outgrown the paradigms in which they were raised, both Fox and Sheldrake see it as part of their life missions to share the natural synthesis of spirituality and science rooted in a paradigm of evolutionary cosmology.
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election
Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE.
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.
9 thoughts on “The Freedom that Forgiveness Brings”
Yes, Matthew, it’s true that most MAGA (Make America Grotesque Again) cult followers of Trump are White Christian males who are basically ignorant wounded males. They carry deep ancestral and personal unconscious wounds, guilt, insecurities, self-hatred, brainwashing, and scapegoating projections on others, especially the feminine and minority groups. They’ve lost their true identities and need deep healing, which is possible one by one with the help of others through the Divine Spirit of LOVE, Truth, Wisdom, Peace, Justice, Healing, Forgiveness, Transformation… working within them and through all of us…. Our Souls are All healing and evolving on Our eternal spiritual journeys….
Thank you, Matthew. The wonderful meditation, for me, hits home.
The poem “Tears from the Past” reminded me of a short play I once wrote conjuring feelings I had reflecting on my own experience of being sexually abused as a little girl. I titled it “Uncomfortable” because, as I say in the script, the play is meant to make listeners feel uncomfortable. Years ago, I was with a group of about six women who were talking about sexual abuse, and we learned that every one of us had been sexually abused as a child. It’s far more common than most people understand. Even though the abuse I experienced was less extreme than what I’ve heard from many other women, it took years of therapy to overcome it. Your writing, today, Matthew, makes me realize that while I have worked through the distress and no longer have energy on the experience, I have not forgiven the man who abused me—to the extent that I have chosen for years not to see the woman in my family who was married to the man. Of course, he is long gone now. Perhaps reaching out to his wife could represent a way to engage in some sense of forgiveness.
The problem here is to be sure that we are able to forgive and not scapegoat or project onto the ones with whom we do not agree. These are very wounded people for whom we are called to be compassionate. It means being able to really listen to them one on one, if possible, without judging. It seems to me that the way to prevent the kind of hurt these mostly men are manifesting, as parents, to teach our boys what a real man is and for teachers and others in education to make sure they are not singled out for bullying. Some hurt people hurt others; others, like the poet with a history of sexual abuse, are wounded healers.
I know many rational, compassionate Trump supporters. It’s fascinating to me that both sides are calling each other fascist and relating each other to Hitler. I just signed on to this newsletter and was shocked to see Trump branded as the anti-christ. This is really extreme stuff.
Laura, this past week, retired four-star general John Kelly, Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, read the definition of a fascist. Here is exactly what he read: “Well, looking at the definition of fascism: It’s a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy.” He then said that former President Trump met that definition. He also mentioned Trump’s expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler. Democrats call Trump a fascist because those who worked closely with him have called him that. The Democratic ticket does not support an authoritarian, ultra-nationalistic ideology. Calling the Democratic ticket fascist is nothing more than projection. It’s the childhood chant, “Whatever you say, bounces off me and sticks on you.”
More than a dozen former Trump administration officials signed on to an open letter backing Kelly’s remarks. “Because we know Trump and have worked for and alongside him, we were sadly not surprised by what General Kelly had to say. This is who Donald Trump is.”
An interesting perspective on forgiveness. What I hear from Trump, MAGA and some conservatives is the following. “We conquered your country, enslaved many and plundered nature. We will not stop as we are ordained to rule”. As Trump continues to denigrate Harris, his flawed political rhetoric reminds of Dostoevsky insights in his novel Brothers Karamazov. Not even Jesus could change the views of perpetrators of the Inquisition. Changing hearts and minds takes courage and constant determination of will not to give up one’s freedom and power to the antichrist. The message of the antichrist is seductive, self centred and a lie. Overturning the tables in their temples is courageous and freeing.
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