Some Year-End Thoughts

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As we look forward to the end of 2017, and the impeachment of the POTUS, I wanted to focus on something positive, namely, the courageous action of the Church of Sweden. To quote a PinkNews article:

“Church tells priests to stop calling God ‘he’ and use gender-neutral pronouns (headline).The Church of Sweden has advised its clergy to stop referring to God using male pronouns. Sweden’s national church, an Evangelical Lutheran denomination, made the switch as part of a modernization push. It advised members of the clergy to avoid referring to God using male identifiers such as ‘he’, ‘Father’ and ‘the Lord.’ “Instead of using the phrase ‘the Father, son and Holy Spirit’ during church services, clergy will be able to use the phrase ‘in the name of God and the Holy Trinity.’ The changes to the church handbook for services are aimed at reforming the church’s role in a more gender-inclusive society.

“Antje Jackelen, the Archbishop of Uppsala and Primate of the Church of Sweden, explained that the Church has always taught about God using a mixture of male and female attributes.
Archbishop Antje Jackelen
“She told PBS NewsHour: ‘God is beyond our human categories of gender. It’s actually already in the Prophet Isaiah in the 11 Chapter. God says, I am God, and not human or a man. God is beyond that, and we need help to remind us of that, because due to the restrictions of our brains, we tend to think of God in very human categories.’”
Pope Francis and Archbishop Jackelen

I have to say that my own spirituality blossomed when I was exposed to liturgy that address a female deity. After that point in my life, every time I was forced to return to “church” I was thoroughly offended by the preponderance of masculine pronouns. The message was clear: females don’t matter, except for one virgin who got pregnant somehow and gave birth. This message was forced down my throat since early childhood. I can only imagine the effect on my self-esteem if I had been allowed to grow up worshiping a female deity.

There are some members of the religious far-right (i.e., Trump supporters) who believe that God supports the worst of male behavior, because he is also a man. Perhaps the thought of a Goddess is too frightening for them. Imagine Her judgement against a rapist, or a pussy-grabber, or a 30-year-old molester of 14-year-old girls! (And again we must thank the black women of Alabama for saving us.)

So I am calling on all spiritual forces to heal our government and cleanse our nation’s capital of the evil, corruption, dishonesty, and racism that is fouling the White House and both houses of congress right now. And while calling on those spiritual forces, I intend to do all I can to help bring about this cleansing. Kudos to Emily's List for their support of female candidates. Also, kudos to Auntie Maxine (Waters), and Kamala Harris for President!
Maxine Waters                                                        Kamala Harris

Happy New Year to you and yours!
Nina Kennedy is a concert pianist, orchestral conductor, and award-winning filmmaker. She holds a master’s degree from the Juilliard School. Her memoir, "Practicing for Love," is a 2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalist.

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