Powers & Principalities

 1)    I wrote about this in a series of posts, writing mostly from what I'd read by William Stringfellow and Walter Wink. [There were seven, starting from http://sneezingflower.blogspot.com/2006/09/way-to-quaker-renewal-part-i.html]

After another look at Stringfellow (_An Ethic for Christians and Other Strangers in a Strange Land_), after this latest election and all that led up to it -- I'm wrestling with a different take on these things.

Writing it up may take awhile; meanwhile I'd appreciate other people's comments and ideas. 

What if anything do those terms refer to? Is there enough about them, in the Bible or anywhere else, to anchor any useful speculation?

To be continued tomorrow, I hope:

2) Is there an honest use for this terminology? Do we understand things better through it, or merely get a convenient vehicle for rhetorical attacks?

To label a phenomenon "demonic" is kind of pejorative. When does that distort perceptions; when does it clarify?

Is it worse to have an archaic vocabulary for describing a disease? -- or to have none at all?

3)

Scorched Earth

You sent us a notice: You planned
to trash our soccer field and
root up the old school and
make another school for
your friend's company to make
money on. Did we
have any last words before
you had your way?

You didn't ask: Should the trees
that shaded the sidewalk be
efficiently tossed
into a dumpster? Would we mind
the dust and the roaring or
the desolate absence
of screaming children?

Yes. We don't have time to fight
every last scam you propose
to impose; but we most certainly
do mind. 

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

The time is come

to be a little more crazy -- 
I've been not not sad and not not happy.

No more pussyfooting from not this to not that
or knowing too much
and caring too little
anymore -- I can't make it
 
as a zombie; I can't fake nothing 
and get away with it;
I catch myself

crying to find myself

at last crying for all of it

and vowing yet again

to live like a live thing
though I know I'll get over it

all too soon.

from one of Anne's remarks

Scholarship: a talent for making the fascinating tedious.

God As Is

God As-Is
is a good enough God,
doesn't put on airs,
keeps right on
patiently creating.

People
demand more!
"Make us
gooder than Thou,
Your perfect children,
heroes of
Your story";
we are
perfectly silly.

God has to love us;
we're so cute!

If I Might

Perhaps I'd break your heart;
Anne found the photograph today
of Susan's house, before it fell
to redevelopment.

A little house, no doubt worn --
a porch with flowerpots
and wind chimes.

There is also
a photo
of Susan
and I might take you one
of Susan in her new homeless life

but if it didn't break your heart
I'd have to hate you.

Because.

The reason that people "don't see x" is that they're seeing 'y'.

They "just don't think" whatever it is we think they ought to be thinking; they "don't even think about" whatever aspect of things we consider most urgent, obvious, and clearly illuminating -- because they're too busy thinking something else about other things entirely.

Your ideas, even my ideas, could be wonderfully helpful to a great many people.

They don't want them. They have theirs.

And look how well we're all doing!