New Religious Fiction Novel ‘The Chronicles of Assignments: Principalities’ Presents Thrilling Adventure in Spiritual Warfare – GlobeNewswire

WINDER, Ga., Jan. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chronicles of Assignments: Principalities by R. W. Touchton introduces readers, both familiar and unfamiliar with the Bible, to an exhilarating adventure in spiritual warfare to provide them with a peek into the spiritual world through entertaining storytelling. The novel follows the life of protagonist Terrence Palmer, a world-renowned Evangelist, who with the help of his guardian angel, goes into the spiritual realm to battle the demon Leviathan and the spiritual wickedness that hovers over his family and church.

During Terrences birth, readers meet the Angel Jedon who is watching over his new assignment. The guardian angel is aware of the demonic forces also assigned to his mortal as the enemy learns the child is destined for greatness and determined to distract Terrence from his destiny. The boys dysfunctional family already makes for a mire of evil for the wicked demons to perform their feats. As Terrence grows up into an adult with the guiding light of his angel, he begins to study the Bible ultimately giving his life to Christ and enrolling in a Spirit-filled Bible college. It is during this time he realizes his calling is Evangelizing and along with his Angel Jedon, battles against powerful demons attempting to destroy Terrences friends church.

Touchton tells the story of mysterious and malevolent forces waging spiritual war in celestial and infernal realmsHe envisions angels as loving protectors of their human assignments, but bound by Gods plan for salvation. The angels emerge in Touchtons telling as disciplined, almost professional warriors, strictly unwilling to override the free will of those they protect no matter how much they love them. Touchtons demons, on the other hand, present a fascinating combination of the grotesque and the farcical, and there is theological wisdom in this depiction. Review by Actor, Allan Edwards

Inspired from his time working in different churches as a minister of music, Touchton noticed Satan and his demons had field days with the church members and based his fiction novel on them and the leaders of these churches. He hopes his story will help argue points of the Bible while providing an edifying, startling, at times terrifying, but ultimately very moving evocation of what it was like to grow up seeking God in the last half of the 20th century. (Allan Edwards review).

The Chronicles of Assignments: Principalities (An Adventure in Spiritual Warfare)By R. W. TouchtonISBN: 978-1-400328796 (Paperback); 978-1-400328802 (Hardbound); 978-1-400328819 (eBook)Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, FaithGateway and Church Source

About the AuthorR. W. Touchton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In keeping with the unique pattern of his life, how and where he was born, and to whom, were intricate pieces of a fascinating story. Touchtons story is a true testament to Gods faithfulness. Following Jacksonville University School of Music, his career would span television, nightclub entertainment, telecommunications, and theatre management with his favorite role as minister of music. Recently retired, Touchton completed his first book for publication and currently resides in Winder, Georgia. To learn more please visit, Teerobb.com and follow The Chronicles of Assignments: Principalities on Facebook.

WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit http://www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240.

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New Religious Fiction Novel 'The Chronicles of Assignments: Principalities' Presents Thrilling Adventure in Spiritual Warfare - GlobeNewswire

Spiritual Reflections: Remember to find joy the new year – SW News Media

For those who are Christian, the 12 days of Christmas are carrying us out of 2020 and into 2021. Ive never been so excited to see something go. And as helpful as the mental shift of a new year is, I know I could lose touch with this joy if Im not careful.

Joy is that deep current that exists because God exists. Christmas is the celebration of Emmanuel, God with us. Epiphany is not just a day where wise men bring gifts but a season where Jesus is with us healing, feeding, teaching bringing us good news. In a year where doom scrolling has taken over our lives, my Christmas-Epiphany goal is to celebrate the good news. Because it is out there and happening! And it helps that deep current of joy to remember not all is lost. Yes, there will be awful days, but there wont be only awful days. God is with us.

I never do these kinds of things alone. The following good news finds come from friends, parishioners and reasons to be cheerful. I wish you happy hunting in finding and sharing more! May we be intentional about feeding that current of joy, remembering that we are not alone and that there is love and hope out there too.

The pandemic cancelled a Chicago couples wedding. They got stuck with a $5,000 non-refundable catering deposit. What did they do? Had the caterer make Thanksgiving meals for Thresholds, a non-profit with a mission of home, health, and hope for people living with mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Did you grow up with this table grace? Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom his world rejoices; Who from our mothers arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. Martin Rinkart wrote it in 1636 in the midst of unfathomable famine and plague that took his wifes life too. Hes going to be my teacher while I work on my ability to find good news and joy.

London is getting its wildlife back! In 2015 folks set to work, weaving pockets of greenery across rooftops, at street level and along the sides of buildings. The goal was simple: to create pathways of natural habitat along which wildlife can travel and flourish unfettered by human activity. With seven of Londons largest property developers on board, progress has been swift today, more than 2,500 square meters of green space stretch across the cityscape, encompassing dozens of green roofs, flower walls, foliage patches, planters, beehives and boxes inhabited by bats, birds and butterflies.

Lisbon is turning empty Airbnb apartments into affordable housing. The initiative offers landlords up to 1,000 euros per month to lease the apartments to the city for a minimum of five years. The city will then sublet those apartments to locals who qualify for affordable housing. Rents will be capped at one-third of the tenants income. The idea solves two problems at once: it finds a use for the now- vacant apartments while adding affordable housing to the pricey real estate market. So far, nearly 200 owners have signed up.

Back to Chicago and CRED: Create Real Economic Destiny, which works primarily in one of the 15 Chicago neighborhoods responsible for 80 percent of the citys gun violence. The program recruits participants through street outreach, which also works to interrupt violence in real time; pays them to attend counseling, high school classes and job training for nine to 18 months; then helps place them in jobs at one of 40 different Chicago companies.

After three consecutive years of double digit drops in gun violence, shootings in the city are up 51 percent; more than 3,200 people have been shot. But in the far south side neighborhood of Roseland where CRED has operated for the last four years, shootings in 2020 have dropped 33 percent.

How did this start? Someone chose to listen. He asked the same question over and over to dozens of young, mostly African-American, men: How much money would it take for you to put down the guns? For a legal job paying just $12 or $13 an hour less than Chicagos $14/hour minimum wage the men said they would put down their guns and turn away from the life theyd been leading.

Harness that deep current of joy, and lets go change our world.

Kate Payton is pastor at Glendale United Methodist Church in Savage.

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Spiritual Reflections: Remember to find joy the new year - SW News Media

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW: Washington reflects on a year of ‘Spiritually Speaking’ – The Atlanta Voice

In a year filled with so much upheaval and turmoil, how does one find the strength and conviction to press on? The Atlanta Voice President and General Manager James A. Washington takes a look back on his column Spiritually Speaking, and offers up some thoughts to consider heading into the new year.

When the world goes absolutely crazy, what do you do? When your life is in absolute chaos, how do you handle it? When nothing makes any sense, where do you find clarity amidst confusion? When there is madness all around you, where do you seek sanity?

It has become apparent to me that the only thing that has to happen to bring chaos and confusion into your life is to allow some distance between you and God.

A factoid regarding this is simply seek something other than the kingdom first. You want to deal with crazy. Just say hello world. Were looking at it right now.

As a minister friend once told me, being a Christian is a full-time job. You dont get the summer off. There is no Spring Break. Do not misunderstand me. No! You dont get nights and weekends off. You can never get too comfortable with how well you think youre doing Gods will.

The reason I bring any of this up is, the devil is ever vigilant. When youre dog tired, hes got a bed for you to sleep in. When youre thirsty, he has the perfect thing to quench it. When you lose focus, guess who has the right game to fill your imagination and temporary desires?

If youre not careful, you will wake up one day thinking youre close to God, only to find yourself hangin with Satan as your sidekick.

Back when we could assemble in church, I was blessed to hear the pastor try to address the fears many of us might have gone through these tough times with the economy and the uncertainty which permeates the world today.

He talked about famine, fire, terrorists, recession, the mortgage crisis, and the like; all of those worldly issues that might keep you up at night.

Let me add COVID-19 to further emphasize my point.

The angst of todays problems should be replaced with the peace of mind that when the world is out of control, God isnt. Now, where do you choose to put your energy, circle your wagons, demonstrate your faith? In the world? Or, in God?

Social distancing cannot ever be a substitute for spiritual togetherness. That question where you put your focus in times of trouble is only of importance if you are unsure of the answer. Worry comes with the world. And, the world, by design is chaotic.

Peace of mind comes with the Lord because the Lord is anything but. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ is in you unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)

I believe a key understanding of having a relationship, a personal relationship with Christ has a lot to do with making conscious choices.

As such, I think Im actually gaining more awareness of what it means as one begins or continues to travel a path towards the Almighty.

In attempting to do, it becomes more and more obvious that choosing which path to take when you come to the fork in the road is more a matter of choice than it is a matter of circumstance or accident or fate.

Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, whats in your heart takes (or should take) priority over whats in your mind or certainly what comes out of your mouth.

I believe this is where faith is challenged and professed ignorance falls by the wayside, even as we desperately want to claim ignorance as if it is a defense (or excuse) for unholy actions or hypocritical conduct. The proof is in ones heart.

No matter the situation or circumstance, when you acknowledge God and your relationship to Him, you cannot use the excuse that you dont know, you didnt have control or your sin was an accident.

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2020 YEAR IN REVIEW: Washington reflects on a year of 'Spiritually Speaking' - The Atlanta Voice

Spiritual politics in the world: Is it an utopian expectation? – WION

In all countries in the world, whether democracies or dictatorial regimes or feudal systems, politicians and consequently politics have been marked by rivalries, sinister moves to downplay others and in many cases favouritism, corruption and nepotism.

Even highly developed countries like the USA, Japan, and Britain are not exceptions to such a prevailing political scenario.

The recent presidential election in the USA, which is generally viewed as having one of the best democratic systems in the world, more than clearly revealed how politics has descended to abysmally low levels.

A former prime minister of Japan was accused of indulging in corrupt practices and a court verdict went against him.

So many other similar examples can be readily shown in almost all countries in the world these days, pointing to the need to reform politics across the world.

In such a world scenario, one 70-year old film actor in India -- who still has a thriving career in acting -- declared he would start a political party to fight for the concept of spiritual politics and would practice spiritual politics if and when elected in the forthcoming election.

However, before this could start, he took a U turn and said he would not start the political party in view of his poor health conditions.

Nevertheless, the concept of spiritual politics caught the imagination of many people who want clean politics. It has also raised doubts and misgivings -- making many people wonder as to whether spiritual politics is possible at all in the present conditions in the world and they think it can only be a mirage.

Many people also wonder what spiritual politics is. Certainly, it is not religion or caste oriented politics. No less a person than Mahatma Gandhi advocated sort of spiritual politics, where non violence, truth and probity in public life would be the central theme. He, however, did not have the opportunity to experiment with this idea and prove its worth in practice, as he had never been in charge of the government.

In the past, some ardent thinkers have advocated world government, where one administration would rule the entire world, as the ultimate solution to resolve the conflicts in the world and promote lasting peace.

C Rajagopalachari, former governor general of India; Dr S Radhakrishnan, former president of India and a well-known academician; and Jayaprakash Narain, a towering political leader in India have also advocated the concept of world government in the past.

Many people, however, think that this concept of a borderless world could never be achieved.

This concept, though, has its own merits and value.

In several fields, many targets have not been achieved but setting such ambition has provided a sense of purpose and motivation to those involved.

Setting spiritual politics as a target for the world hence need not be straightaway ridiculed as an impossible goal or an utopian view.

There have been many worthy philosophers and thinkers in all countries who have been demanding probity in public life and truth in thoughts and actions.

It is high time that the United Nations ponders seriously on the subject of spiritual politics and gives a lead to the world in debating about the possibility and methodology of achieving spiritual politics. Certainly, this concept should be the ultimate standard for world civilisation.

A worldwide movement must be launched to promote the concept of spiritual politics, which would create an appropriate and progressive climate to achieve this lofty goal.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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Spiritual politics in the world: Is it an utopian expectation? - WION

African-American Educator and Spiritual Leader Jay Vinson Offers Hope for American Youth – Publishes Powerful New Memoir and Devotional That Turns…

ATLANTA, Dec. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Faith-based leader and motivational youth coach Jay Vinson (http://www.jayvinson.org/jv-home) announced the official release of his second book created to help those struggling during difficult times. Written as a daily devotional, "Stepping Into Greatness: From Pain to Purpose & Promise" blends Vinson's personal and moving life story into a series of profound meditations that help guide readers to discover God's purpose for their lives. Warm, friendly and conversational, Vinson's devotional is intended for a wide audience: teenagers and adults, the faithful, and those who are still questioning. The book is now available via Amazon.com.

"The most important question anyone can ask themselves is 'what is my purpose?'," said Vinson. "Because that question can lead us out of suffering and into a lifetime of discovering what God has planned for us. More often than not, that path starts with adversity and pain. This has never been more-clear than right now, with sickness and death all around us. But God always has a purpose for our pain. And life's adversity has a way of leading us toward a higher goal."

Though born into a family indelibly marked by early tragedies, Vinson ultimately transmuted his painful experiences, now living a life in testimony to the joy that God can bring when people surrender to His will.

"Every experience brings you to a point of understanding. Every trial, tribulation, heartache, and difficult circumstance creates an atmosphere of faith and purpose if you can press through the pain. Believe me I know what it's like and what it takes."

"Stepping Into Greatness": Meditations for Focused Living

While mentoring and educating teenagers and young athletes, Vinson gained a unique approach to leading people toward their life goals: "I have a lot of kids who come to me trying to figure out what they're supposed to be doing with their lives. That's a natural concern for any teenager. I always tell them it's all about connections: making the right relationships with people who are honorable and rooted in integrity. And making a connection with God. That's just as true for adults who are still looking to find their way. We always mirror those around us. And you can't get ahead when you have negative beliefs and the bad behaviors of others pulling you down. But once you realize that truth, you can start changing your own mindset. You begin to understand that you have a divine purpose. That realization is the goal of this book that's the first step toward positioning yourself for a life of greatness."

About Jay Vinson: "A Victorious Life Is Waiting"

Educator, author and Lead Pastor for the True Life Church of Tuskegee, Alabama. Jay Vinson offers programs that propel individuals on a life-path marked by clear purpose and service to God. A Certified Spiritual, Health and Wellness Life Coach, Vinson helps people reconnect with their inner compass, encouraging spiritual growth and personal evolution with inspirational lessons that offer healing and wisdom for the spirit. Learn more at: http://www.JayVinson.org.

Media Contact: Jay Vinson (678) 310-6381[emailprotected] Social MediaFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram@JayVinson30

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African-American Educator and Spiritual Leader Jay Vinson Offers Hope for American Youth - Publishes Powerful New Memoir and Devotional That Turns...

Ignatian spirituality in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’: The line between greed and the true more of ‘magis’ – America Magazine

[Editors Note: This article contains spoilers forWonder Woman 1984]

Wonder Woman 1984 is the fourth on-screen outing for Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. In each previous movie, she has faced ultra-powerful, god-like monsters, but this time the true opponent is quite different and so is the manner in which the opponent is fought. The official villains of the movie, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Dr. Barbara Minerva/Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), are both powerful in their own right, but there is a greater villain lurking in the background.

Greed is the true monster of the movie. Greed, the insatiable pursuit ofmore. This drive for more is the ultimate motivator for the films villains.

Lets start with Maxwell Lord. He takes on the power of the Dream Stone, a relic of an ancient god of mischief that has the power to grant what one wishes at an unknown cost. Lord gains the power to grant wishes as well as the ability to take what he wants from the recipient as a consequence. He becomes desperate to grant peoples wishes because with every wish granted he is able to take something for himself. His desire for more keeps taking him further from the thing that he actually wants, which is to build a life that would make his son proud of him.

As for Minerva, she begins as a good person, although one that is clumsy and largely ignored by those around her. Her original desire is to be like Diana, someone she sees as beautiful, confident, and noticed by others. As a consequence of wishing to be like Diana, she unintentionally gains her powers. Her wish gives her a taste of power, and she wants more. Eventually, this consumes her. Her own goodness becomes corrupted by this desire for more and by the end of the movie she is transformed into the bloodthirsty Cheetah.

For those well-versed in Ignatian spirituality, the term magis should sound familiar. The term is directly translated as more, but that interpretation is precisely part of the problem inWonder Woman 1984. After all, greed, the thirst formore, is the ultimate monster of the movie. But its the true meaning of magis that actually helps save the day.

Interpreting magis simply as more can be problematic. It can make us think that we need to constantly take on more, do more, and even have more.Wonder Woman 1984shows the problem with this pursuit of more. While the initial desires of the principle characters are not necessarily bad, it is greed that corrupts these into an insatiable desire for more.

Read this next:Can Ignatian spirituality teach us to engage prayerfully in civic life?

Even Wonder Woman herself is not immune to this desire. It is obvious in the film that she feels alone. It has been decades since she lost her love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), and she has outlived her friends. She inadvertently makes the wish to have Steve back in her life before she even knows the power of the Dream Stone. Her wish is shockingly granted.

But what she doesnt realize is that the consequence of her wish is the diminishment of her own powers. Over time she becomes weaker and weaker, and it is evident that she does not have the power that she needs to face Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. There is only one way to regain her powers: renounce her wish and give up Steve for good. When she first realizes this, Diana is conflicted. She wants to be able to help people, but she also wants to keep Steve in her life. In this sense she also wantsmore.

Greatness is not what you think.

The true meaning of magis in Ignatian Spirituality is not more, but that which is better or greater. Its not about doing more, but about doing the greater good. Dianas desire to keep Steve and to help others are both good. But in this case she cannot do both.

In the movie, this is because of the consequence of her wish, but in reality, we too are often faced with the choice to do what is greater. We can attempt to do it all, motivated by the misinterpretation of magis, but that will often lead to burnout and a diminishment in our ability to do what is best. This is where discernment comes in, because true discernment is always between good things. Diana sees the chaos and pain around her and knows that she must give up Steve in order to do what is right.

What ultimately allows Diana to pursue the greater good is another concept of Ignatian spirituality: detachment. In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius writes that all created things are intended to help us grow closer to God. We must take up the things that help us do this and let go of the things that prevent us from achieving this. This requires detachment or indifference. This does not mean being unfeeling, but rather, having the freedom to let go of something for the sake of pursuing the greater good.

Dianas detachment from Steve doesnt mean that she stops caring for him all of a sudden. This much is evident from how painful it is for her to renounce her wish. But she is able to do it because she knows what is the greater good.

How does it all play out? Wonder Woman and Cheetah engage in a physical showdown, but the true final battle is an appeal by Diana to Maxwell Lord and the people of the world to recognize the greater good, or the magis. She invites them to see the destruction that is being caused by their own blind pursuit of more, fueled by greed.

It can be easy to write off the message of the movie because of its fantastical nature, including the fact that much of the chaos is caused by the consequences of a wishing stone. But the fact is that our own actions have consequences. And when they are motivated by greed and selfishness, the consequences usually have a negative effect on those around us and ourselves.

Maxwell Lord thought that he was gaining everything. But he was losing his family in the process. Does this not happen in our world? Barbara wanted to be noticed and desired, and she was willing to give up her best qualities, her kindness and goodness, to do so. Does this not happen in our world as well?

Even with the best of intentions, the pursuit of more can keep us from doing the greater good. Like Diana, we might be tempted to do it all, but we cant. The danger with interpreting magis as more is that we can take on too many good things, doing none of them well and harming our mental, physical, and spiritual health in the process.

This is a huge temptation for many of us. Rather than taking the time to make hard choices or, God forbid, telling someone no, we attempt to do everything until were completely worn out. Ignatian spirituality has the tools to help us pursue the greater good. Discernment can help us to take an honest look at what is before us and what would be best, for us and for others. Detachment can give us the freedom that we need to let go of some things, even when it is difficult.

Instead of giving into greed for more, we need to grow in the freedom to let go for the sake of the greater good. Just like Wonder Woman.

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Ignatian spirituality in 'Wonder Woman 1984': The line between greed and the true more of 'magis' - America Magazine

Surviving Death on Netflix, A Scientific and Spiritual Investigation into the Afterlife | Movie trailer – Prudent Press Agency

Docu string Surviving death It will arrive on Netflix after that January 6 And if we know little about it yet, the latest trailer for a trailer has finally lifted the veil of mystery that surrounds it. Surviving death It was created by director and executive producer Ricky Stern ( Ru reverse And the Joan Rivers: A Work Piece It is adapted from the novel of the same name by Leslie Kane.

It is presented as a docu series that through its six episodes it will analyze unresolved cases of NDEs, intermediate communications, and more. A detailed investigation that develops through interviews, scientific experiments, and above all, different points of view. In fact, the strong point of the series will be represented by Two methods of investigation, On the one hand scientific, On the other hand my soul.

Netflixs attempt to balance all viewpoints on one of the most poignant topics, the afterlife topic. The first trailer is very exciting so waiting for the imminent release on Netflix we leave you to see it. By the way, if you havent updated yet, here is all the upcoming January content on Netflix.

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Surviving Death on Netflix, A Scientific and Spiritual Investigation into the Afterlife | Movie trailer - Prudent Press Agency

Spirituality: This is time of year to make our dreams real – Norwich Bulletin

By Cal Lord, For The Bulletin| The Bulletin

I was riding down Route 2 in Preston when I saw it. The sign read, "60 acres for sale." I quickly looked to my right and I saw trees for as far as my eyes could see. Lots of trees. A veritable forest. There was nothing there. No buildings. No roads. Nothing to spark your imagination. It was just a wooded lot.

As I continued to drive I came upon the vast expanse of the Foxwoods. It arose out of the forest and stood tall like the California redwoods. As I drove out over the overpass I could see the taillights of the cars as they ascended into the parking garages. The place was alive and filled with people looking for miracles to happen.

Now I am not a gambler. I don't believe in it. Places like this bring more heartache than anything else. Yet, I remember when that piece of land was just as plain and simple as the parcel that I saw minutes before. The only difference between the two is that someone had a vision for the piece of land that now houses two of the largest casinos in the world.

Vision is what separates what is and what could be.I love this time of year. It's a time of reflection but it also gives us the opportunity tolook at the landscape ahead us and to dream dreams about the future. It allows us to put the past behind us so we canstartover andforge ahead to try new things.

The new year gives us permission to leave behind the things that have weighed us down. It gives us permission to start over and do it right and do it better this time around. People who know me will tell you that every January I go back to Weight Watchers to mold and shape the new me. Every January I pick up my Bible and begin my daily devotionals again. Every January I reach out to old friends and renew some important acquaintances.

The good news is that the ability to begin again doesn't depend on the calendar. God sees the potential in us.He wants us to claim it today. Like that wooded piece of property, God sees what we can become. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God has a bright and prosperous plan for our future. All we have to do iswalk with Godso that the future can spring to life.

If you have been feeling stuck and need a boost to get you going again, I want to invite you to drop in to a local church or synagogue in your neighborhood.Are you beingcareful about exposure to the coronavirus?Bring up their service online and worship with them in thatway.

You seeGod is there, ready and waiting to get started on that future. Don't just dream about the future. Start making it happen today. Gohand in handwith God intothe new year andclaimthe blessing that He has set aside for you.

The Rev. Cal Lord is the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Westerly. Reach him atcalstigers@gmail.com.

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Spirituality: This is time of year to make our dreams real - Norwich Bulletin

JI spiritual leader Bashir set to be released on Friday – The Straits Times

Indonesia's top terrorist convict Abu Bakar Bashir, the spiritual leader of South-east Asia's Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror group, is set to be released from prison on Friday, the Indonesian authorities said yesterday.

The 82-year old radical cleric has been in jail since his arrest in 2009.

In 2011, he was sentenced to 15 years in jail for funding a training camp for terrorists in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.

Mr Imam Suyudi, the head of West Java's law and human rights regional office, said Bashir will be released from Gunung Sindur prison in Bogor on Friday after fulfilling his 15-year jail sentence, with remission of 55 months.

"He has served his punishment well and followed all rules and procedures," Mr Imam was quoted as saying by Antara.

He also noted that Bashir is "in good shape" ahead of his release.

Bashir's legal team had last year requested that the government prioritise him for early release along with other prisoners on fears of a potential coronavirus outbreak in prisons, citing his old age as a factor.

Last April, Indonesia set free 30,000 prisoners who had served two-thirds of their sentences, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in its overcrowded prisons.

Bashir was the alleged mastermind of Indonesia's deadliest terrorist attack - the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali which killed 202 people. He was never convicted of the attack.

In December 2018, the Indonesian cleric was offered early release on humanitarian grounds by the government due to his deteriorating health.

But it was on the condition that he had to first pledge allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia as well as state ideology Pancasila, as is required of all reformed terrorists.

Bashir refused the offer.

Separately, Indonesia's national police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan told reporters that the police would ensure security and order on the day of Bashir's release.

He added that they would also monitor Bashir's movements after he walks free.

"That is not carried out only towards Abu Bakar Bashir. We have a special intelligence team that monitors those who have committed any crime," he said.

Bashir's release comes amid Indonesian anti-terrorism squad Densus 88's intensified efforts against terrorism.

In the past two months, it has arrested 23 alleged terrorists in different places across Sumatra island, including two men behind the Bali bombings - Taufik Bulaga, alias Upik Lawanga, and Aris Sumarsono, alias Zulkarnaen.

And last July, a Jakarta court sentenced Para Wijayanto, the key leader of Al-Qaeda-linked JI - whom terrorism experts believe is Bashir's student - to seven years in jail for his role in recruiting and training militants and raising funds for those going to Syria.

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JI spiritual leader Bashir set to be released on Friday - The Straits Times

New Year’s resolutions: A spiritually uplifting thing to do – Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Of all the popular secular rituals that sometimes enrich (Thanksgiving family meals) and sometimes degrade (Halloween vandalism) our public life, my favorite is the custom of making resolutions at the end of the year.

I know that most of these resolutions are honored mostly in their abandonment and yet I still think they are a spiritually uplifting thing to do.

There does seem to be some evidence that making a resolution has some measurable statistical impact. Studies apparently show that those who make New Years resolutions are about a third more likely to fulfill them than those who make no resolutions at all.

We cannot ever change unless we explicitly name the behaviors that are blocking the better angels of our nature from taking wing. Twelve step programs owe much of their success in weaning people off drugs and alcohol to this process.

The best resolutions are, to my mind, those that shine a light on the little known, infrequently examined weak spots in your behaviors. Making changes in little things can give spiritual energy to the big changes we all need to be about.

So here is my partial list for 2021. Some, I am already addressing and others require a little bit of help from above and from within.

This year I resolve to:

Give to beggars. I always try to do this even though I am well aware of the counter argument that many of the street beggars are hucksters. Even so, I know we all know that to humiliate oneself publicly is embarrassing and just standing out in the weather asking for help deserves some form of acknowledgment. I now have a pile of dollar bills in my car to guard against the occasions when I have had the desire to give but I had no cash on hand. If you are still worried that you are enabling a drug habit, buy some fast-food meal coupons and hand them out to the beggars you meet along your way. Giving to beggars keeps your heart soft.

The rabbis who began rabbinic Judaism taught that when the Messiah comes (I guess Christian readers can substitute, When the Messiah comes again.) he will appear as a beggar at the gates of Rome, and when someone gives to him and bandages his wounds, he will announce himself. In case they got the city wrong and really meant to say Boca Raton, I want to be ready. I dont want to be the one who keeps the Messiah away because I am not carrying cash.

Curse less. Language is so powerful we must resolve to use the highest and purest form of language we know. Cursing is lazy talk. Cursing is angry talk. Cursing is not the way we should be using our words. I dont curse that much but I curse too much for my liking. Recently, when I wanted to describe someone or some group that is tearing our country apart with acrimony and prejudice cloaked in conspiratorial theories and political diatribes from both the right and the left, I have become enamored with the phrase to describe them, They are bat-s..t crazy!

I am not sure there is a satisfying clean language alternative, but I am seeking one. Perhaps in the year ahead I will call the nut cases in our midst, pathologically deluded. That phrase does not roll off the tongue with the power and ease of bat-s..t crazy, so I am still searching. I just want to curse less, and I want to understand more.

Take the vaccine. These miracle drugs will save us, but we need to be willing to be saved. Most folks I know are thrilled and anxious to get the shots, but there remains a sizable number of people who have decided, or who will decide, to wait and see.

For any new medicine that is generally good advice, but these vaccines are, according to very smart doctors and researchers, overwhelmingly safe and effective. Also, we need to get roughly 80 percent of our population vaccinated in order to achieve what the scientists call, herd immunity, which is the percentage needed to make us all safe, even if a few people still are not immunized. So, taking the vaccine helps you and helps all of your fellow Americans. It is a win, win, win, win.

May God grant us all a good New Year. Asking for a great New Year seems selfish to me. Good is enough right now.

God bless!

Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including Religion for Dummies, cowritten with Fr. Tom Hartman. Send all questions and comments to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com.

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New Year's resolutions: A spiritually uplifting thing to do - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Spiritual Successors Are Keeping Iconic Game Series Alive, and They’re Not Slowing Down – The Escapist

Beloved gaming franchises never really die. Sometimes they go away for a bit, only to be revived via remastered collections. Weve seen Activision do this plenty of times in recent years, bringing back Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, and Tony Hawks Pro Skater for modern audiences. Individual masterpieces like The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, Shadow of the Colossus, Demons Souls, and Final Fantasy VII have been remade in the past few years, in very different but equally successful translations. And through it all, we hold out hope that beloved classics like Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Chrono Trigger might find a way to see a resurgence on new consoles.

But sometimes, the road to bringing back a beloved game is a bit more twisty. Maybe the rights to a series are in limbo. Perhaps the original publisher has no interest in revisiting a certain property. Or, in many cases, much of the original creative team has gone on to form a completely different studio. Its in these situations that weve seen the rise of the spiritual successor, a way of making whats old feel new again, thats showing no signs of stopping in the coming years.

In the past few weeks, weve seen quite a bit from two high-profile spiritual successors. At The Game Awards, we saw the reveal of The Callisto Protocol, the first game from a new developer called Striking Distance Studios. Right from the get-go, everything about the reveal trailer screamed Dead Space derelict space stations, colored lights on the back of a prisoners neck that seemed to display in-world information, and a reanimated corpse that mutated into a hellish creature that strongly resembled a necromorph.

But once you dig a bit deeper, the games Dead Space similarities start making complete sense, despite not being affiliated with EA. Striking Distance is led by former Visceral Games vice-president and Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield. While we know that The Callisto Protocol is somehow set in the universe of PUBG, the trailer is filled with a ton of Easter eggs that point to its being a sci-fi survival horror experience cut from the same cloth as Dead Space, which is excellent news to me.

Another upcoming game weve seen quite a bit from in recent weeks is Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rocks four-player cooperative zombie shooter that is Left 4 Dead in everything but name. Again, that makes complete sense given that Turtle Rock was the developer of Left 4 Dead 2. While this new game doesnt have Valves backing or use of its IP, its clear that Back 4 Blood has all of the elements of L4D that truly matter.

Our recent hands-on impressions confirmed that it has the same nail-biting pacing, creative use of an AI director that makes every session feel uniquely dramatic, and perfect balance of enemy types, enemy quantities, and resource scarcity that keeps the tension at its peak. It even goes as far as to add the kinds of new and exciting elements that wed expert from a true sequel, like a deck-building mechanic that modifies the kinds of weapons, perks, and obstacles you and your teammates will face throughout the campaign.

While The Callisto Protocol is a few years away from being released, Back 4 Blood is already in alpha, with the final game coming this June. And while both of these games are high-budget spectacles coming from AAA studios, thats not the only way to birth a spiritual successor. Looking at the upcoming pipeline, theres Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, a game very much carrying the Jet Set Radio torch, right down to original music by Hideki Naganuma. Sticking with Sega classics is Taxi Chaos, an indie game coming to consoles in February that channels the spirit of the arcade and Dreamcast classic, Crazy Taxi. And oddly enough, Sega is even distributing the game in Japan and throughout Asia.

Of course, perhaps the biggest spiritual successor announced in 2020 was Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, essentially a new Suikoden game under another name from Rabbit & Bear Studios, which is made up of a lot of folks who worked on Konamis classic RPG series. The game was revealed in July, with a Kickstarter campaign that shortly followed. It was far and away the biggest video game Kickstarter of 2020 and the third highest-grossing video game campaign in the crowdfunding platforms history. It made $4.6 million from over 46,000 backers, with an expected release date of fall 2022.

These types of spiritual successors by some of the original creators arent new in video games. Weve seen a trend in recent years, particularly in the form of crowdfunded projects that have capitalized on some of the most popular franchises of the 80s and 90s. Some of them have been ultimately disappointing, like Keiji Inafunes Mighty No. 9, which never managed to capture the magic of its classic Mega Man inspirations. There were good successors that mightve lacked some of the charm of their predecessors, like Playtonic Games Yooka-Laylee, which managed to weave in some, if not all, of what made games like Banjo-Kazooie special. And then thereve been genuinely great games, like Koji Igarashis Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which is the best Castlevania game weve seen in quite some time. That games even getting a free Classic Mode DLC in January that will transform it into something more similar to the 8- and 16-bit versions of Konamis series.

In thinking about where these upcoming successors fit in the modern breadth of video games, its clear that theres a deep desire for both experiences that are familiar and that are new. Some of my favorite games of 2020 were completely original, like Spiritfarer, The Pathless, and Paradise Killer. Others felt like the natural progressions of their developers, like Hades, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and Astros Playroom. And then there were the straight-up sequels and remakes, like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and The Last of Us Part II. Theres no one right way to make a great game, and if its clear that theres still interest in a franchise or idea from both fans and the original developers themselves, then Im all for teams going back to the well and trying to find that old magic once again.

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Spiritual Successors Are Keeping Iconic Game Series Alive, and They're Not Slowing Down - The Escapist

Landry: How to make spiritual New Year’s resolutions – Grandin Media

In the last week of any year, its a long-standing tradition to write about New Years resolutions. Some write about the sorts of resolutions people might choose to undertake, the most popular resolutions consistently have something to do with personal health (exercising more, eating better) or being more responsible money.

Others write about the futility of the resolutions themselves: a quick Google search told me that somewhere between 75 to 92 per cent of New Years Resolutions fail, and that the most common day these are abandoned is Jan. 12 each year. With numbers like that, you might wonder why Im bothering to write about resolutions again.

The thing is that as Catholic Christians, we shouldnt be so quick to abandon our resolutions. When we got to confession, we are asked to pray an Act of Contrition before we receive absolution. The prayer I was taught includes the words I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

This resolution is not the sort of thing we should just cast aside like a gym membership or the guitar Ive given up on learning how to play. Although I sin again (and again and again), I come back to confession with this resolution sincerely on my heart in hopes of making some spiritual progress. You might say that, as Catholics, we should be in the business of making resolutions (and renewing them once weve fallen short.) And so, while this is certainly not an exhaustive list, Id like to propose three areas to consider as spiritual New Years Resolutions:

A Habit of Prayer

When it comes to prayer, the best advice may come in the slogan Nike has used in promotions for years: Just do it. And though it sounds simple, many of us struggle to maintain a consistent habit of prayer. In response to a student question on prayer last year, Rev. Paul Moret the pastor of Holy Trinity parish in Spruce Grove explained that what is most important is that you make a commitment to do something simple, something you can commit to, and something youll follow through with. This may mean beginning each morning with an Our Father, and keeping to that for weeks or even months. If youd like to expand your habit do so in small increments: perhaps you make it an Our Father and a Hail Mary, or a decade of the Rosary, or something along these lines. Keep it simple, and make it something you actually do.

For those looking to dive deeper into prayer, our faith offers a treasury of spiritual classics written to help us deepen our life of prayer. For beginners, Anthony Blooms Beginning to Pray and St. Francis de Sales Introduction to the Devout Life are both good places to start, while the works of St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross alongside the care of a good spiritual director might be a good place for someone to deepen their prayer.

Read Scripture

St. Jerome once said Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ in other words, we need to spend more time reading Scripture. And so, a decision to read the Bible is probably one of the more popular Christian New Years resolutions. If you search a Catholic Bible-in-a-year reading plan, youll most likely come across this excellent post from Brandon Vogt outlining resources to help you read or the upcoming Bible in a Year podcast with Rev. Mike Schmitz.

The thing is, when it comes to reading scripture, in my experience Father Pauls advice about prayer also applies here. I think its important to take on something simple that you can actually commit to. With more than 1,300 chapters in the Bible, you could technically read the Bible in a year if youre reading about four chapters per day. It may be more valuable to take your time, and instead read one chapter per day (even if this means you take four years to get it done!) If you want to do something along those lines, my Unfolding Scripture Bible Study might be of help. This study, based on Jeff Cavins Great Adventure Bible Timeline, will help you read your way through the story of salvation which in turn helps the rest of Scripture make more sense.

A New Spiritual Discipline

Alongside prayer and reading the Bible, theres also room for most of us to take on some other spiritual discipline. What might that look like? Well, if you look to the Precepts of the Church, you find a good starting point for what is expected of us as ordinary Catholics and it should come as no surprise that the Eucharist and Confession are high on this list. Beyond those, here are a few spiritual habits you that might take on in the coming year.

One idea would be to find a way to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament each week (between Sundays). If you are unable or dont feel comfortable to actually go into your parish church, sit in your car in the church parking lot and spend a quiet moment with Christ.

Another idea would be to take on the habit of daily praying the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Finally, you might take on a habit of spiritual reading of reading books and articles that will help us to grow in holiness. Its hard to go wrong with the Lives of the Saints, and a personal favourite for me will be Story of a Soul the autobiography of St. Therese de Lisieux. If you want to dive in a little further, last May Cardinal Thomas Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto, shared a list of books he recommends all Catholics read in order to better know our own faith.

As you look to the beginning of 2021, recognize that there is an opportunity to make a resolution to pray more, to read more Scripture, or to take on some other spiritual discipline. And if you have to renew these resolutions a hundred times in the coming year: so be it. In mid-March, Bishop Robert Barron spoke of the spiritual opportunities that the pandemic offers to each of us. He saw great value in the fact that at the time so many of our distractions were being taken from us and so each of us now has the chance to sit alone in a room by (ourselves), and wrestle with the really deep questions. I pray your resolutions will help you to do just that.

Mike Landry is chaplain toEvergreen Catholic Schoolswest of Edmonton, and serves as an occasional guest speaker and music minister in communities across Western Canada. Mike and his wife Jennifer live in Stony Plain, Alta. with their five children.

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Landry: How to make spiritual New Year's resolutions - Grandin Media

Contagion Spiritual Sequel In The Works From Steven Soderbergh – Screen Rant

A follow-up "philosophical" sequel to the 2011 pandemic film, Contagion, is officially in the works from director Steven Soderbergh.

A Contagion"spiritual" sequel is in the works from Steven Soderbergh. The original 2011 film, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Gwyneth Paltrow, directed by Soderbergh (Oceans Eleven) and written by Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum), centered around a deadly virus outbreak and the societal collapse as a result of it. The subject matter carries many parallels with what the United States and the world has been dealing with this year with the Coronavirus pandemic, and viewership of the near decade-old picture saw a rejuvenated surge in 2020.

Related:How Contagion Movie Accurately Predicted The Coronavirus Outbreak

In the wake of the real-world pandemic, Soderbergh was featured on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying that hes working on a follow-up film to Contagion. Billed as a philosophical sequel to the original, the new project in development by him and Burns wont necessarily be a directly connected or continued story, as one would find in a traditional sequel. The new film would play alongside Contagion, similar in theme, but with marked variations between the two.

Ive got a project in development that Scott Burns is working with me on, thats a kind of philosophical sequel to Contagion, but in a different context. Youll kind of look at the two of them as kind of paired, but very different hair colors. So, Scott and I had been talking about, So, whats the next iteration of a Contagion-type story? We have been working on that; we should probably hot-foot it a little bit.

Fictional works of the viral pandemic genre are nothing new in Hollywood, with modern classic films and TV shows like 1995s Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo, and more recently, Guillermo del Toros 2014 series, The Strain, which ran for 4 seasons on SyFy. Actually living through one now paints a different picture of how those types of stories will likely be told moving forward. Concepts based on fantasy, imagination, and speculation can now be rooted in actual true-life experience, and viewers could start to see that reflected in newer works like Songbird, Stephen Kings The Stand on CBS All Access, and Soderbergh'sContagion sequel.

Next:Contagion: What The Movie Got Right & Wrong Compared To Coronavirus

Source: Happy Sad Confused

Wonder Woman 1984: What Each Character Lost With Their Wishes

EJ. Offurum, known the industry over as 'EWLYD', is a Television Producer and connoisseur, having developed multiple programs for cable nets including, TLC, MTV, and Lifetime Network, to name a few. He's also a part-time Film Critic, Food Critic, and Urban Adventurer, tackling the very best in Entertainment and News Articles for Screen Rant! -- TV? Comic Books? Movies? Celebrities? Video Games? If it's fun, and exciting, he'll stop at nothing to bring you the lowdown! EWLYD is based out of NYC.You can follow his shenanigans on Twitter @EWLYD and IG @EWLYD.Season.2

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Contagion Spiritual Sequel In The Works From Steven Soderbergh - Screen Rant

Generation Z and spiritual wellness The Famuan – Famuan

Millennials are showing increasing interest in spirituality. Photo courtesy Refinery29

Teens in 2020 are trading in their parents Bibles, crucifixes and holy water for Tarot cards, crystals and sage.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, only about 52% of millennials say that they believe in God with absolute certainty and about 41% of millennials think that religion is an important aspect in their lives.

So, why are millennials straying from traditional religious doctrines and leaning toward more free spirited spiritual identifications? What is it about spirituality that is so attractive to the younger generations?

Ayanna Foster, a 21-year-old psychology student at Florida A&M University, felt as though her disconnect to the church was a factor in her waivering religious beliefs.

I grew up questioning everybody including God and I honestly didnt find a church I could relate to until I was 19, which was a big struggle for me, Foster said. Not having a church that spoke to my heart and not feeling like I was being good enough as a Christian played a big part in me feeling lost.

Fosters story is one that mirrors those of many millennials and kids of Generation Z growing up in a fundamentally religious household and straying from the path that was laid before them by their parents.

I realized that I dont have a specific belief, Foster explained. But I realized I dont have to put a title on it. I believe in astrology, spirituality, witchcraft and God. I talk to my guides, I talk to God. I talk to my ancestors. Thats just what it is. I guess Im just a free spirit.

It can be noted that some of the strict teaching in many religions do not align with the current progressive ideals of young adults we see today. The upcoming generations are ones setting out to demolish every problematic ism the same isms that are found within the sacred texts of the religions they followed growing up.

Social media plays a vital role in the spreading of these spiritual beliefs and practices.

Brittany, a worker at locally owned metaphysical store Stone Age who declined to provide her last name, has seen firsthand the effect that social media has on young peoples spiritual beliefs.

Spiritual objects have become more popular with social media like TikTok and Twitter, Brittany said. We had a lot of people coming in asking about Tarot cards, pendulums and moldavite.

Moldavite, a forest green rock formed by the impact of a meteorite over 15 million years ago, surged in popularity on the social media platform TikTok as hundreds of thousands of videos were created dubbing the rock the worlds most powerful crystal.

Every single day we were getting phone calls asking if we sell moldavite and where it could be bought, Brittany said. The whole market bought moldavite and could barely keep stock because of importing issues and shortages.

The power of social media on the spiritual and religious beliefs of young people shouldnt be overlooked.

Foster feels as though social media helped to further propel her into her spiritual journey.

I follow many spirituality pages that educate me and give their experiences about their journeys, Foster said. Maybe tell me things I didnt know that make me wanna pick up a book or get on google and learn more about it. Maybe I saw something that I didnt understand and then Ill get on Twitter and itll explain it deeper for me. Or Ill go on YouTube and watch others talk about their spiritual journeys and deeper explanations of spirituality.

Millennials are continuing to carve out their own spiritual path by any means necessary and this shift is anything but unprecedented.

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Generation Z and spiritual wellness The Famuan - Famuan

Spiritual Warriors on Behalf of Donald Trump – The Bulwark

Listening to the rhetoric of President Donald Trumps allies over the last few days as the ballots rolled in and his hopes of re-election dwindled, we were reminded of the ways in which religious historywhich can sometimes feel distant and foreign to contemporary concernsremains very relevant to the present. In their language of warfare spiritual and secular, Trumps evangelical allies have been playing with a fire that may continue to burn long after they give up this contest. It is worth taking a moment to look closely at, and consider the consequences of, their preaching and shouting and, yes, tweeting, the rhetoric of holy war.

Paula White, the presidents spiritual adviser, for example, spent last Wednesday night leading a Pentecostal prayer service, engaging in spiritual warfare for the purpose of securing Trumps re-election. The most sensational partbesides speaking in tongueswas the summoning of angels to fight for him, saying, For angels have even been dispatched from Africa right now. . . . In the name of Jesus from South America, theyre coming here.

White later said that we come against people that are working at high levels right now with demonic confederacies who were working against the election, against America, against that who You have declared to be in the White House. Behind her as she preached was a man pacing back and forth with a Bible, possibly engaged in a Jericho March, a prayer walk to intercede, protect, enact change, etc.

If this was the spiritual warfare to try and re-elect Donald Trump through holy violence, Trumps former campaign strategist and senior counselor Steve Bannon had something less incorporeal in mind. He said on his podcast that at the beginning of Trumps second term, the president should execute Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray: Id actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. Id put their heads on pikes, right, Id put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats, you either get with the program or youre gone.

Bannons core political belief unites a clash-of-civilizations, defense-of-the-West conviction with a combative, ultraconservative Catholicism. While his legal battles in the United States tend to get the most attention, its worth noting that he has also been engaged in a long legal clash in Italy over the control of a 13th-century monastery that he reportedly wants to turn into the headquarters for a project to realize his theological-political vision.

Not only does Bannon play around with neomedieval notions of executions, he has made a habit of playing with violent tropes of the past. Addressing (virtually) the Catholic Identity Conference in Pittsburgh at the end of October, he said that traditional Catholics needed to engage in war against myriad enemies standing against Donald Trumps re-election. Among the enemies: the compromised Vatican.

At that same conference, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigan gave a speech saying that we are in the End Times and that a New World Order, the antithesis of Christian Society, exists and must be fought. Vigan connected the U.S. election to a major moral and spiritual conflict:

Allow me a brief word about the political situation in the United States on the eve of the presidential election. Fratelli Tutti [i.e., Pope Franciss latest encyclical, published in October] seems to be a form of Vatican endorsement of the Democratic candidate, in clear opposition to Donald Trump, and come a few days after Francis refused to grant audience to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Rome. This confirms which side the children of light are on, and who the children of darkness are.

The conferences main homepage image shows four armed Knights Templar kneeling before a priestcoyly violent religious imagery heading a religious conference in which speakers preached violence against those opposing Donald Trump.

Podcast November 09 2020

On todays Bulwark podcast, Sarah Longwell, Bill Kristol, and Jonathan V. Last join Charlie Sykes to discuss Joe Bidens...

Both Paula Whites spiritual warfare and Bannons call to the faithful to engage in religiously inspired physical warfare bring to mind the Crusadesthe holy wars launched by the Church in 1096 onwards against various Muslim powers. The chroniclers of those wars recorded visions of saints, angelic hosts joining the soldiers on the battlefield, apocalyptic missions ending in the conquest of Jerusalemreferring to Revelation itself in the process. Those ideas then spread beyond wars in the Levant to wars in Spain, violence against Jews across Europe, wars against pagans and Orthodox Christians in the Baltic, wars against heretics and rival lords in southern France, wars against political enemies in Italy, wars against proto-Protestants in Bohemia. (Arguably the last of these conflicts was during the age of Napoleon.) Once the rhetoric of holy war is used, the idea, like a virus, spreads and mutates and never seems to die.

On Thursday, as President Trumps electoral defeat seemed ever more inevitable, televangelist George Pearsons took to the airwaves to apprise the faithful of the horrific situation facing Gods president. Alternating between speaking directly as God and for God, Pearson warned that he (presumably God) was angry with what was happening to his ordained leader and that retribution was underway. It was a declaration that evangelical conservatism alone is the arbiter of who or what deserves divine sanction or retribution.

Pearsons hardly stands alone. History is a wasteland of religious justifications for political activism, identity, and violence. On the other hand, Christianity, and American Christianity especially, has arguably possessed more than its fair share of these unions of political thought and religious belief. Millennialismessentially the idea that through constantly improving and reforming society, mankind could prepare and even accelerate the return of Jesus Christ and his physical kingdom on Earthwas a defining feature of Puritan thought, and after the Great Awakening, its influence could be seen in almost all the Protestant sects who dominated early American culture and politics. Flawed laws and leaders, sinful social behaviors, and even the toleration of practices and peoples of other beliefs were all seen as potentially hindering the literal second coming of Christ.

The quintessentially American variation of apocalyptic millennialism has had a range of consequences. On the positive side of the ledger: During the colonial and Revolutionary periods, when religious leaders were shapers of democratic and pluralistic political thought in the colonies, evangelicals embraced anti-authoritarianism and anti-elitism. They pushed to broaden political access and to question temporal rulers, and they established individual agency and freedom as the key ingredients to both good government and a godly society. Even at the time, many people saw this belief system as linked to the American Revolution, as clergy exhorted soldiers and civilians to regard the cause of American liberty as synonymous with the will of heaven. The early Republic saw this same merging of religious and political activism promote a variety of social reforms. And the long arc of major American social reformsexpanding the franchise, the abolition of slavery, public education, aspects of the welfare state, and even environmental conservationismwas connected to the belief that salvation depends on constant political activism designed to win Gods favor.

Yet the inability to separate political exigencies and actors from religious meaning also produced some of the darkest chapters in American history. Natives who refused Christian conversion did not fit into the architecture of a godly society and were exterminated, expelled, and displaced with near unanimous approval. At least part of the reason loyalists were treated roughly during the Revolutionary eramany were stripped of citizenship and had their property seized; some were killed in public lynchings; others were forcibly deportedis that their rejection of separation from Great Britain was seen by some patriots as hindering the creation of Gods kingdom. Fourscore years later, Southern religious leaders invoked God to defend slavery and, when civil conflict loomed, advocated a treasonous rebellion to defend it. In the 20th century, this alliance of religious conviction and political identity gave us potent conservative movements like the Moral Majority and its antiprogressive agenda of rolling back the rights of women and homosexualsand led directly to todays marriage of evangelicals and the Republican party, on which Donald Trump has depended.

Some of Trumps supporters wanted him re-elected to help bring about that millennial kingdom. Some showed up to the Clark County, Nevada election department to kneel and pray that righteousness prevails while wearing red MAGA hats. Some cast the election in Manichaean terms. Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana, for example, tweeted about Freedom or oppression. A free Republic or total government control, essentializing to good and evil, before saying Make your stand and quoting George Washington. On Thursday, Higgins tweeted out Psalms 55:9-11:

You need not be an elite exegete to detect in Higginss tweet a call to holy violence, whether spiritual or physical, in service of Trumps re-election. These themes from Christian history, be it the Crusades or colonial America, never really seem to go away; notions of sacred violence, and of apocalyptic millennialism, have a powerful and dangerous longevity. Of course, evangelical Christianity is not monolithic, and one of the compelling social conflicts of our time will be the battle to dominate the future and meaning of its apocalyptic strain. At the same time, with public tension and political extremism coming into full view surrounding Donald Trump and his coalitions loss of the presidency, it is worth remembering that our leaders have a responsibility to consider their words and beliefs carefully. God wills it is an idea that can draw blood.

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Spiritual Warriors on Behalf of Donald Trump - The Bulwark

Pastor Paula White calls on angels from Africa and South America to bring Trump victory – USA TODAY

President Donald Trump's spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain led an impassioned prayer service for his reelection. USA TODAY

Megachurch pastor and televangelist Paula White-Cain, who is spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump,delivered a prayer service Wednesday night in an effort to secure Trump's reelection.

During the service, which wasstreamed on Facebook Live, White-Cain called on "angelic reinforcement" from the continents of Africa and South America.

"I hear a sound of victory, the Lord says it is done," she said. "For angels have even been dispatched from Africa right now... In the name of Jesus from South America, they're coming here."

In her prayer, White-Cain is also heard speaking in tongues an occurrencein which a speaker talks in a language they do not know, usually during an intense religious experience. Speaking in tongues has been practiced in multiple Christian denominations, as well as other religions.

White's video has goneviral since it went online Wednesday night. And many have expressed outrage over her words.

"God is sending angels from a place Trump called a [expletive] to help him get re-elected?" Bishop Talbert Swan, a pastor, activist and NAACP Chapter President, wrote on Twitter. "'I hear the sounds of victory...' Consider a hearing aid."

"Shell be lucky if Stephen Miller doesnt send those angels to ICE Detention Centers," wroteAna Navarro-Crdenas, political strategist and commentator for CNN, Telemundo and The View.

White-Cain also statedthat"demonic confederacies...are attempting to steal the election from Trump." As of Thursday morning, Joe Biden had 264 electoral votes and Trump 214, according to USA TODAY counts.

Even before outrage over Wednesday's video, White-Cain wasa controversial figure in Christian circles because she preaches prosperity theology (or prosperity gospel) a belief that God will reward believers with material wealth if they donate generously to religious causes.

Who is Paula White?Trump's spiritual adviser says president is a man of repentance

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COLUMN/PERSPECTIVE: The spiritual experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail – Brunswick News

The Apostle Paul saw the light on the road to Damascus.

The Rt. Rev. Frank Logue and his wife, Victoria, have seen it repeatedly on the Appalachian Trail.

Unlike Paul, the Logues were not blinded by what they saw but the trail has spoken to them about the beauty of creation and, like Paul, theyre written about it.

The Logues are coauthors of several trail guides, including Appalachian Trail Hiker: Trail-Proven Advice for Hikes of Any Length and Best of the Appalachian Trail: Day Hikes. They also wrote and photographed, Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

He likened it to telling people where the trails greatest hits are located if they dont have the time to hike the entire 2,200 miles from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Mount Katahdin, Maine, as they once did seven months to the day, from March 2 to Sept. 2 in 1988.

As with many people, that hasnt been enough. Theyve gone back several times to hike sections.

Places you may not know to do, but places we think are worth the hike, he said of the books.

Asked if he had only one hike left, where would he go, Logue said, Id go to western Maine and the last section of the trail, he said. It goes through timberland, probably the remotest spot on the trail.

But he said Georgia has places just as stunning.

Thirty miles north of Blood Mountain is as pretty as it gets, he said.

Victoria Logue said she and her former Boy Scout husband were equally eager to hike the trail.

My family camped. My father was in the Navy from New England to Hawaii, and they saw a lot of the outdoors at his duty stations, she said.

On the trail, the Logues had one small tent and all the weather.

They were snowed in a couple of days at Rainbow Spring Campground in North Carolina and farther up the trail an April snow chased them into a barn with gaps in its walls. They had the company of 13 scouts and their leaders.

We were forced to leave because we ran out of food, she said.

They soon found clear hiking because it hadnt snowed a few miles down the trail.

They kept hiking north and by the time they reached New England, she said, we were so used to getting rained on we just kept going.

For many couples, being sore-footed and bone weary in miserable weather would make for some unhappy days, but Victoria Logue said they were prepared for all of it.

Shortly after they got married, they spent two months in Kathmandu Valley, where We learned how to get along. And they were prepared to write the guides from the time they met when he was a staff photographer, and she was a writer for a Warner Robins newspaper.

Their days of writing trail and scenic highway guides are likely behind them. Now 59, she said she is concentrating on devotional books and as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, the 57-year-old Logue is on the road a lot for his ministry.

As with her husband, Victoria Logue has a favorite hike in mind.

I would probably want to do a hike in Europe, St. Cuthberts Way in England, and she also wanted to walk the Way of St. Francis in Italy, she said.

She spoke of writing devotionals, but to hear them talk about the trail it is clear their Christian faith is bolstered as they hike.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail was for us a spiritual journey, that changed their walk from journalism to ministry and trekking those long distances changed the way they live, Frank Logue said.

Patience, endurance, goal-setting cant be matched in any other way, he said.

Had it not been for hiking, they would have never written any books and, after the experience, he started a church from scratch, King of Peace in Kingsland where he ministered from 2000 until 2010.

Asked about his favorite trail experiences, spiritual or otherwise, Logue said he had several, including When the rhododendron are blooming in the southern Appalachians, as the trail follows dark tunnels through the thickets, he said.

The smell of the balsam fir on the high places, when youve been on Roan Mountain. Ive done it again and again even on a foggy day. That is just amazing to me, he said.

Then you think of fall in New England, walking the Long Trail/AT in Vermont, he said.

They have seen places that come to mind instantly, the high, breezy meadows of the Grayson Highlands in Virginia, Cumberland Mountain, Clingmans Dome in the Smokys and Charlies Bunion, a rock knob with a 360 degree view.

Sometimes, you have those places to yourself and hear just your own breath and the wind in the trees. Sometimes its just you and the sound of your soles padding on the rocks and roots that other hikers feet have polished to a sheen like a drill sergeants boots.

There are places in the mountains you can feel Gods presence. I dont know an atheist who hasnt had the hair go up on the back of their neck out in nature. It can be a spectacular waterfall, maybe a grouse, walking up on a deer that doesnt bolt.

You cant predict when it will happen because it can sneak up on you in those cathedrals of trees or in some less remarkable places where a icy, clear stream tumbles over rocks, he said. He agreed theres more to it than intelligent design. Its the work of a loving God who created it in a way we can enjoy.

There is a sense we were created for each other. The flower wants to be admired in a way that is beautiful to us.

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COLUMN/PERSPECTIVE: The spiritual experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail - Brunswick News

NJAC Rededication: 1970 Revolution impacts spirituality and religion in T&T – Wired868

[] White supremacist philosophy, then predominant in the society, was reinforced by very visible symbols of wealth, power, science, technology and general achievement, which resulted from centuries of exploitation of the human and physical resources of colonised societies around the world.

[] The new teachings of the Trinidad and Tobago Revolution and the resulting rise in enlightenment made most of these practices unacceptable after 1970.

The people began to develop greater respect, confidence and belief in their own culture, philosophies and ideas. There was a renewed pride in what they inherited from their ancestors or what they created in their own communities

The following column is part of an NJAC series on their contribution to Trinidad and Tobago society after the Black Power Revolution of 1970:

In 1970, the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), under the insightful leadership of the Chief Servant Makandal Daaga, launched a serious campaign for the liberation of the minds of our people in Trinidad and Tobago. This was a necessary step on the road to the creation of a free and just society. The existing colonial and slave mentality was the foundation for the political, economic, cultural, social and even religious denial of the dignity and humanity of the masses.

When NJAC launched the mass Peoples Movement in 1970, we found that Caribbean society in general still maintained several of the practices, norms and policies of our slave, indentured and colonial past. Generations of non-white men and women had grown up in absolute powerlessness. They were victims of a society that denied them their right to govern their own lives and even imposed oppressive laws and regulations to limit their personal activities at the individual levels.

White supremacist philosophy, then predominant in the society, was reinforced by very visible symbols of wealth, power, science, technology and general achievement, which resulted from centuries of exploitation of the human and physical resources of colonised societies around the world. There is little wonder that these deceptive, dehumanising doctrines, suggesting the inferiority of colonised or ex-colonised peoples, have been so successful in implanting a self-fulfilling inferiority mindset in oppressed people.

Given these socio-political realities of 1970 society, NJACs call for peoples power and a new and just society was considered an act of rebellion by the existing power elite. It was a rebellion the controllers of power were bent on extinguishing.

NJAC and the movement, however, had a very forceful instrument in the tens of thousands of people marching daily and supporting NJACs demands for change. With the genius of Makandal Daagas leadership at the helm, NJACs mobilisation of the masses was so swift and dynamic that the powers that be, and everyone else, were compelled to lend a very attentive ear. NJAC was thus able to mount a very serious challenge to the white supremacist philosophy.

Racism was even present within some churches at that time. Before 1970, for instance, some churches gave special privileges to white members of the congregation (like reserved seats in the front pews or having the black members wait to allow the whites to leave first). The very fact that these practices were then widely accepted speaks volumes to the nature of race relations existing at that time. The new teachings of the Trinidad and Tobago Revolution and the resulting rise in enlightenment made most of these practices unacceptable after 1970.

The people began to develop greater respect, confidence and belief in their own culture, philosophies and ideas. There was a renewed pride in what they inherited from their ancestors or what they created in their own communities. A good example of this is seen in the immense impact the movement had on the development of philosophies and lifestyles that did not originate in Europe or North America.

The case of Rastafarianism is one significant example. The growth of the Rastafarian philosophy and lifestyle only took off in T&T in the 1970s. Tyehimba Salandy, in his book I and I in Iere Land: A History of the Rastafari Movement in Trinidad & Tobago, stated: While the emergence of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica occurred within the context of British imperialist rule, the emergence of Rasta identity in Trinidad and Tobago happened in the post-independence period. The subsequent explosion of Rasta identity came after the initial Black Power uprising.

The movement ushered in a new era for the religious community, particularly for the Catholic, Orisa, Spiritual Baptist, Pentecostal, Anglican, Muslim and Hindu faiths. This was reflected in official and social recognition, changes in policy, as well as in a new awareness and growth in their members and followers. These faiths began to command greater space and respect within society.

In 1972, Dr Brinsley Samaroo, in reference to the impact of the Revolution on the East Indian community, stated, Currently, there is the revival of rituals, increased religious fervour, name changing (back to Indian names) and a return to Indian forms of dress.

It should also be noted that the first T&T national and the first African to be appointed Bishop of the Anglican Church in Trinidad and Tobago, Clive Abdullah, received his appointment on 29 September 1970. Even before his appointment, during the period of the mass demonstrations (26 February to 21 April 1970) Bishop Abdullah was very vocal in his criticism of the lack of representation of black leaders in the Anglican Church in Trinidad and Tobago.

During the 1980s and 1990s three historic laws were passed by the parliament to the benefit of the Orisa faith: the Act for the Incorporation of the Orisa Movement of Trinidad & Tobago, Egbe Ile Wa (1981); the Opa Orisa Shango Movement Act (1991); and the Orisa Marriage Act (1999). Trinidad and Tobagos 1981 Act for the Incorporation of the Orisa Movement was the first legal enactment to legitimise the status of African-derived religions outside of the African continent. It was the first time that the Orisa faith was granted formal recognition and designated the status of other religious groups.

The Shouter Baptists also enjoyed a rise in their recognition and respect during this period. Barbara Grey-Burke (Archbishop of the Spiritual Shouter Baptists) was strongly influenced by the 1970 movement she participated in.

She said of the movement: Women stood defiantly with the men during protest marches [] after 1970, more black women were employed in the banks and as air hostesses.

She believed that for many black women in Trinidad and Tobago, Liseli Daaga (wife of Makandal Daaga) symbolised the power of black consciousness.

The 1970s was undeniably a period of true mental liberation for our people, thus releasing their natural potential for creativity and innovation.

Prior to 1970, T&Ts democracy rating was very low. Viewpoints that opposed those of the government or the power elite were not tolerated. Several books that presented a different world view, often very progressive, were banned by the government as subversive literature. During this time, several NJAC members suffered persecution, police harassment, fines in court, arrests and detention in police cells before some of these undemocratic laws and practices were curbed.

This ran counter to the foundation of any truly democratic society based on freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of expression and the general free flow of information that gave the population the opportunity to freely decide which philosophy (or approach) they considered the best.

Chairman Mao Tse Tung, leader of the Chinese Revolution, whose books were then banned in T&T, presented the spirit of democracy quite appropriately when he wrote: Let one hundred flowers blossom, let one hundred schools of thought contend.

In Trinidad and Tobago, on the other hand, a brilliant son of our soil, Kwame Ture (formerly Stokely Carmichael), was banned from coming home by the government led by Dr Eric Williams. Ture, who coined the slogan Black Power and fought against racism and oppression of black people in the United States, was only allowed to come home to the land of his birth in 1996 when the ban was lifted by the Basdeo Panday government.

As a result of the influence of NJAC and the Peoples Movement, a dialogue emerged among most of the religious denominations present in Trinidad and Tobago at the time. This led to the formation of the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO) in 1970. Three years later, the body was incorporated by an act of parliament on 17 July 1973.

Also established was the Caribbean Conference of Churches, which published the Caribbean Contact paper to promote a regional religious and spiritual perspective. In one of its 1975 editions, the Caribbean Contact stated that the saints of the 20th century did not come from within the Church but from outside the Church. Three persons identified as such saints were Makandal Daaga, Kwame Ture and Khafra Kambon.

Such was the regional and international impact of the movement that the pope convened a meeting of the World Conference of Churches (WCC) in Geneva to discuss the effect NJACs ideas were likely to have on religious activities and influence in the Caribbean. Reverend Roy Neehall of the Presbyterian faith represented Trinidad and Tobago at that meeting.

The WCC secretariat also gave Reverend Neehall the additional responsibility of investigating reports of Black Power attacks on a church in Trinidad, arising out of the entry of demonstrators into the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on 26 February 1970. Reverend Neehall spent five days investigating the incident and submitted in his final report that there was no evidence of any attack on the church in Trinidad.

The existing churches at the time received much criticism for their failure to take a position or address the poverty and exploitation of large sections of our communities. There were some very positive responses, with the church fraternity generally becoming more sensitive to the needs of underprivileged members of the society.

There was also a greater effort on the part of religious bodies to take positive measures to alleviate the impact of poverty on their flock and on our communities in general. For instance, catholic priest Father Gerard Pantin and Wesley (Wes) Hall (a Barbadian and West Indian cricketer then on a coaching assignment with WITCO in Trinidad) founded Service Volunteered for All (Servol ) on 8 September 1970.

The objective was to foster spiritual values, cooperation and family responsibility within underprivileged communities. Through Servol, the Church sought to provide opportunities for persons in dispossessed communities, with a special emphasis on Laventille.

Fifty years later, Servol continues to contribute to poverty alleviation among the needy through their training, character building and job opportunities. Approximately 300,000 persons have benefited from their training, nurturing and support programmes for children, young adults and young parents. The Servol model has been taken as far as Australia, Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam, Israel and Ireland, as well as to several Caribbean territories.

On 26 February 2020, the 50th anniversary of the launch of the mass Peoples Movement, which culminated in the Trinidad and Tobago Revolution of 1970, NJAC returned to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The cathedral was occupied by demonstrators on that same date 50 years ago. The return to the cathedral earlier this year, however, took quite a different form; that of a service in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Trinidad and Tobago Revolution of 1970.

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, who conducted the commemorative service, stated in his homily: Unless citizens understand the deep underbelly of the Black Power Revolution and the way it still affects us today, 50 years later, then we would not move the revolution on to its next stage.

1970 was a watershed but it leads us today to reflect on what the country has gained and in what ways the Black Power Revolution is still unfinished Unfinished because we have reached far from where we were, but we have not yet come to the promised land

He added: 1970 wounds must heal for T&T to move forward.

Servant Leader of NJAC Kwasi Mutema told the congregation at the Cathedral: you have young people who would have followed the script, so to speak. They went to their schools, they went to their universities, they graduated, and we have young professional doctors and lawyers who just cannot find work, and they are unhappy. They cannot move forward with their lives.

They want to start a family, but they have to deliberately put that on hold. That is a severe state of unhappiness and we do not realise what we are doing to our society when you get that level of unhappiness. A happy people do not commit crime.

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NJAC Rededication: 1970 Revolution impacts spirituality and religion in T&T - Wired868

US election 2020: Biden seeks spiritual comfort before maelstrom of ‘loneliest job in the world’ – Sky News

The church of St Joseph on the Brandywine in Wilmington has played a significant role in the life of Joe Biden.

It was no surprise then that, even as he begins the transition from private citizen to most powerful man on the planet, he sought spiritual comfort within its 19th-century walls.

What was surprising perhaps was that the small gathering of media and members of the public at the church gates was granted such a clear view of the former vice president, now under increased Secret Service protection, as he made his way inside.

It was to the total delight of locals who are getting used to the novelty of being home to Delaware's first ever president of the United States.

He was accompanied by his daughter Ashley, and grandson Hunter, and it wasn't just the 10.30am mass that brought the president-elect to St Joseph.

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As he left the service, he made the short walk to the church's cemetery. Buried there are his first wife Neilia and daughter Naomi, killed in a car accident in 1972, and his son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015.

As they paid their respects, Mr Biden was seen to put his arm around the shoulder of Beau's son Hunter.

It was a very personal moment for a man whose private life has become part of his political story. That story will now be America's guiding light for the next four years.

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Karen Peterson and Victoria Bandy also regularly pay their respects at Beau Biden's grave. Like most people in the neighbourhood, they know the Biden family and have plenty of stories of their encounters over the years.

They say Mr Biden's Catholic faith is fundamental to who he is, and the president he will be.

"I think it means everything to him. I think it gives him the strength to do this," said Victoria. "I don't think his heart was really in this to begin with because of losing Beau, but he knows Beau would have wanted him to do this."

Karen added: "Joe's faith is central to his life and the person he is."

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While Mr Biden was at mass, the team managing the transition from the Trump administration was unveiling a website outlining his plans. More announcements are coming - a sign that Mr Biden is not holding his breath waiting for Donald Trump to concede.

There was a wave for the supporters who had gathered in the sunshine to offer their good wishes before Mr Biden retreated back into the protective bubble that will be his life from now on.

It was a few moments of peace and reflection for a man who will soon enough face the maelstrom of what has so often been called the loneliest job in the world.

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US election 2020: Biden seeks spiritual comfort before maelstrom of 'loneliest job in the world' - Sky News

OPINION/SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: Were still in this together – Wicked Local Kingston

The first lesson about leadership I learned, was as a ninth-grade football player and the quarterback for my high school team.

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. --Abraham Lincoln

The first lesson about leadership I learned, was as a ninth-grade football player and the quarterback for my high school team. We were led by our coach, lets call him Coach Jim, and he coached us in a way Ive since learned by personal experience and study, is about the worst strategy to bring folks together. The worst way to motivate others. The worst way to unify disparate group of folks. The worst way to lead.

He was a bully.

He ruled the field and the locker room, not with inspiration or support or encouragement or joy at play, but instead with fear; with threats, with anger and with such meanspiritedness that he drove me to quit the sport, one Id loved since I first took to the gridiron in the fifth grade. At practice the air was filled with expletives, shouted at full volume at the team, and so we learned to just put our heads down and play, hoping Coach would not single us out for a tongue lashing before our peers. We were afraid of his wrath. The violence of our sport was reflected in the violence of his rhetoric and actions.

When he did wind up to let us know how he was really feeling, his face would turn a deep shade of red, and the spittle would fly from his mouth and his words would flow with such contempt for us that we prayed for play to end early. Coach was in a bad mood. The irony is that for all his blow-hardy speeches and closed-fist threats and arrogance, our team played awfully. We allowed him to divide us and be pitted against one another. He imagined he was bringing out the best in us, I suppose, but the truth was he was a terrible coach. That season we lost more than we won and rarely had any fun as we played.

So much for a bullys ability to lead, to evoke the better angels in human nature.

I couldnt get this notion of bullying off of my mind as our nation went to the polls and decided our national fate and direction for the next four years. It has been an ugly, ugly campaign season and an ugly, ugly year for human behavior in our land. Who could have imagined the image of armed protesters, bullies, storming the state capitol in Michigan this summer in response to the lockdown? The blatant disregard, even contempt, so many of my fellow citizens have shown for science and public health, that folks would actually see the rejection of mask wearing as a symbol of liberty, patriotism even?

Are we living in a parallel universe? Is this really America?

Though in some places the threat of COVID has brought us together and inspired compassionate and wise leadership, in other places, for lack of such moral leadership, through bullying leadership, the virus now threatens us two-fold. First, with the threat of getting sick and then with the threat of watching us come apart at the seams as a country, our devolution as a democracy.

Instead of leaders evoking the best in us, our angels, too many leaders instead evoke the worst in their followers. Inspire violence and hate, not peace and cooperation. Call out for cruelty and not compassion, meanness and not mercy.

Last March as COVID spread throughout the land, I was idealistic and hopeful. I prayed to God that this shared threat would bring out the best in us as fellow citizens. To each do our parts to keep the whole healthy and well and unified. To sacrifice for a neighbor: to mask up and distance and take good care. Together, we would get through this. When Americans are unified, anything is possible.

But if competent leadership is not there to move the masses to act with such virtue, it will not happen. So, even though we are facing into the worst heath crisis our nation has faced in 100 years, are now almost eight months into what might continue for another year, we are sick in a way. We are diseased civically, and we are in critical care as a national community.

Thats the price we pay when bullies lead.

Chaos. Fear. Danger. Incompetence. Disunity. It doesnt matter if it is on a football field or in a family or a corporate boardroom or in the halls of government.

Thus, in the days ahead I offer this prayer for our land. That we might be led by those who bring out the better angels of our nature, as Lincoln once said. That we might move off of the sidelines of democracy and get right into the thick of it, into the contest. Vote. Organize. Be informed. Take responsibility for our citizenship. That America might live up to the noblest of our shared ideals: neighbor helping neighbor, and always, ALWAYS remembering.

We are all in this together.

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org.

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OPINION/SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: Were still in this together - Wicked Local Kingston