politics

Minnesota is my Red Line

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

I’m done.  I’m done giving people the benefit of the doubt and trying to find empathy, compassion, or understanding for their political beliefs when these beliefs justify violence (murder) of innocent people. To put it simply, there is absolutely nothing that makes humanity’s inhumanity to “man” right.

What has been happening in Minneapolis/Minnesota has become my final straw. I am all for reasonable immigration laws and the enforcement of those laws, but what the recently appointed ICE army has been doing in Minneapolis is unconscionable. These actions have been both enabled and celebrated by the current administration (Donald Trump) and by those who still support him, including state-funded media who twist visual evidence to justify murder.  It’s disgusting, immoral, and just plain evil.

To me, it is no longer about (truly, it never really was) Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Libertarian, or otherwise, it is a simple matter of human decency. If you cannot have empathy or compassion for someone who hasn’t had it as easy as you, who has skin of a different color, loves differently than you, is of an ethnicity different than your own, has different religious or spiritual beliefs, or god-forbid hasn’t yet learned English or wears a hijab or turban, then I don’t know how I can have a single ounce of respect for you. Actually – I don’t.

I’m not sorry. In my mind, human beings deserve to feel safe, to have access to food, clothing, shelter, an education and healthcare. If one does not have access to these things within their home country, they have the right to seek it elsewhere. If they do not have access to these things in OUR OWN country, they have the right and duty to DEMAND it. And it is the right and duty of those who have to create a path for those who do not have so they can get those needs met. If we don’t do these things for each other, then we have failed as a species.

As it relates to immigration, I’m not talking about open borders. I’m talking about basic human decency – putting ourselves in another’s shoes and asking, “if I was in this situation, what help and support would I need and how would I want to be treated?”  It is as simple as this.

And to the great people of Minnesota who have been standing up for what is right and working together to protect their neighbors and keep them safe, I thank you.  From the bottom of my heart I thank you. The world is watching and I could not be more proud of the example you have set that now others can follow. You have shown the world that it is truly the people who have the power.  Thank you!

Universal Love Activist

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 1 Comment

Preamble:Today (1.25.26) I am heartbroken. Yesterday, in the early morning hours following the largest peaceful protest in the history of Minneapolis (50,000+), seven ICE agents gunned down an innocent man, Alex Pretti who had been defending a woman being harassed by ICE. The ICE agents pepper-sprayed him, beat him to the ground, and then shot him several times. The incident was filmed by several civilians and the conclusion is obvious.

Alex Pretti was murdered.

Today’s news revealed that the initial shooter has been removed from ICE duty in Minneapolis and moved to another state where he may continue his duties. I’m heartbroken and horrified. More even than this, I’m disgusted with every single member of Congress and the Supreme Court who are doing NOTHING to hold the president accountable for the wave of violence he has unleashed upon this country. I am all for enforcing immigration laws, but this is NOT how it is done in a reasonable society. Sadly, the United States left “reasonable” behind a long time ago.

That being said, while our elected officials are sitting on their hands, I continually am inspired by the actions of Minnesota residents in their ongoing attempts to draw attention to, and put a halt to ICE’s occupation of the Twin Cities. While ICE is out targeting any person who gets their attention (please note that the two most recent executions were white, US citizens), Minnesotans are providing for and protecting their neighbors at risk, accepting donations to help assist those in need, and holding peaceful protests in sub-zero temperatures. Minnesotans are proactive, organized, and driven in their attempts to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of all humans – citizens or not.

I am so proud of my hometown.

In the midst of the serious business of revolution, Minnesotans have also found a way to express their creativity. Whether it be through singing, movement, poetry, writing, or art, the Twin Cities are finding ways to be activists using their own unique gifts. One such example is the “Rebel Loon” images that have been popping up all over social media and beyond:

Inspired by the symbol for the Star Wars Rebel Alliance, graphic designers and artists have created myriad interpretations of the Rebel Loon logo to represent their unique community of activists. Out of their work, I was inspired to create something of my own. I have no idea of what this is for, or where it might be going (other than a momentary action to comfort my feelings of helplessness), but here it is along with some initial brainstorming to accompany my own tiny contribution to the revolution.

May the Force be with us!

Signs of the New World

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

As a Minneapolis native, I have been closely tuned into the events unfolding since ICE began their occupation, drawing national attention by shooting an innocent woman (Robin Nicole Good) in the face. Since Robin’s murder, several others have been shot, and even more illegally detained, with the president of the United States cheering on Robin’s murder (“she asked for it”) and the violence against women, men, and children who are here legally but who have become unwarranted targets of ICE. It is not only immigrants who are being targeted, but also Native Americans and most recently a Caucasian female friend of mine was harassed by ICE agents as she was leaving a suburban mall.

Shit is getting real. AND, Minneapolis, along with the state of Minnesota, are standing up, and speaking out, while providing protection and support for those who do not feel safe leaving their homes.

I could not be more proud of my hometown!!! From the Oglala Sioux facilitating sacred ritual at the corner of Chicago and Lake St. bringing attention to the tribal members who have been detained by ICE, to Smitten Kitten fundraising and collecting donations for homebound families, to Wrecktangle Pizza providing food for families, to the thousands of people who gathered at Powderhorn Park for a little “fun” protesting. This does not include the countless social service, church, and community services who are on the ground providing support where needed. In addition, Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have been holding news conferences for days, keeping the world informed and Minnesotan’s safe. Even the state Agricultural leadership spoke up regarding the grave danger to agriculture posed by ICE’s guerilla tactics.  

All of this to say – Minneapolis (as is often the case) is helping us to turn a corner. Through sheer compassion and care for their neighbors, Minneapolis and St. Paul citizens are showing us directly what LOVE can do. In doing so, they are providing us with signs of a new world being born, while demonstrating the actions out of which the new world will begin to usurp the dying world.

The Twin Cities are providing us with a blueprint upon which the new world can begin to take root, grow, and mature. This is how they’re doing it:

  • Saying NO to intimidation.  
  • Saying NO to violence.
  • Knowing and standing up for the Constitution.
  • Exercising their constitutional rights.
  • Knowing and understanding history.
  • Saying NO to authority based in fear, power, and control.
  • Defying that which is illegal.
  • In cases where relevant, using their privilege to advocate for and facilitate change.

And more than any of the above:

  • Welcoming the stranger.
  • Loving their neighbor.
  • Providing for the needs of those who don’t feel safe providing for themselves.
  • Giving from their own subsistence to help those in greater need.
  • Protecting their neighbors.
  • Advocating for their neighbors’ rights and safety.

In short, the Twin Cities, often criticized for being a hot bed of liberals, is showing the world exactly what it means to be LOVE, and how it is done – a model for all of us to follow.

Finally, a special note to those, like myself, who have found themselves plunged into the ocean of prayer – overtaken by the Spirit of Love and used as a vessel providing Peace, Comfort, Protection, Healing, and Support for a community and a world in need. Right now, this may be all you can do – and that is ok!  Thank you!

The Walls are Tumbling Down

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

To quote the immortal words of John Mellencamp:

When the walls come tumblin’ down
When the walls come crumblin’ crumblin’
When the walls come tumblin’ tumblin’ down

It may not appear like that to some. One certainly wouldn’t know it by looking only at the surface of things. In fact, at first glance, it may appear as if the United States has lost its damn mind or fallen into an abyss out of which we will never return.

I do not, however, believe this is the case. Every single day we get closer to the final collapse when the shifting sands upon which the “American Dream” was planted opens and swallows the dream, revealing it to have been a lie all along.

When our “great” nation was established 250 years ago, it was made to benefit only a certain few. The idea that all people would be guaranteed “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” has always been a lie. But we bought into it hook line and sinker.

Over the course of the last 250 years, we have little by little seen the intentional obstacles in the system that prevent certain populations from enjoying the benefits of the promised liberties and freedoms. Those of compassion and a sense of justice have pointed out these obstacles and doggedly worked to eliminate them so that more might be free. But with every course correction, the “men in charge” have worked to create more and more limitations to freedom.

A nation divided against itself, as these men intend, cannot stand. Further, a system built out of fear and propped up by gluttony and greed is simply not sustainable. It will eventually fall.

Which is where we find ourselves today. Every single day we are met with a new deception attempting to hold up the system. Some choose to ignore these deceptions and symptoms of corruption, but for those with eyes that can see, we are watching the increasingly rapid tearing away of every lie behind which those in power hide.

It’s exhausting. And yet, as much as it pains anyone with a conscience to see the pure evil that runs our nation and likely our world, we cannot eliminate an evil that cannot be seen. And boy are we seeing it – so much so that on some days I feel like my eyeballs are on fire from all that we are being made to see.

More and more people are beginning to see. People on both sides of the illusionary divide are seeing the evil that has been hiding behind the mask of “democracy” for 250 years. We are no longer living in a Representative Democracy – if we ever truly were. Instead, we are living in a lie where we have been told that our “votes count” and that our elected officials are making decisions on our behalf. Bullshit! Instead, corporations are choosing our “representatives” and paying them to make policy decisions on their behalf.

Corporations now rule our nation. They are the ones making decisions that benefit them – their CEO’s and stockholders. To these corporations, the only thing that matters is how much money they have in their pockets.

But guess what, there are more of us than there are of them. For years, regular Americans have been pitted against each other, made to believe that the cause of our pain is “the other” (people of color, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, Evangelical Christians, independent women, liberals, conservatives, etc. etc. etc. ). The truth many are beginning to see is that we are not each other’s enemy, and we never were. Instead, the enemy is one we have in common:  CORPORATE GREED and the corrupt system that has been built to support that greed.

People are disgusted. People are angry. People are beginning to set down the illusion of separation, tentatively joining hands across the aisle toward a common cause. This common cause is the desire for the system to crumble under the weight of its corruption so that something more fair and just can rise up to take its place – something that more closely resembles the “American Dream” we have chosen to believe in – this time with a firm foundation and a solid framework to insure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not just for the very few, but for the all:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. – The Declaration of Independent, July 4, 1776

Just Say No!

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Revealing the patriarchal wound in American institutions

Regardless of our thoughts on the Trump administration, we cannot deny the way this presidency is revealing the woundedness and corruption of long-cherished American institutions. This woundedness can be summed up in one simple way:

The Trump presidency is showing us how firmly entrenched American institutions are in patriarchy.

While this may be obvious considering that the vast majority of American institutions are founded on a patriarchal/hierarchical model. Patriarchal institutions favor the powerful few while imposing subservience on everyone else.

What has not been so obvious until now is the way in which these patriarchal institutions, and those within these institutions, have allowed themselves to become subservient to the system in which they exist. Patriarchy begets patriarchy with subtle layers of privilege imprisoning those within the very system. Let me point out a few examples:

  1. When the Trump administration ordered the elimination of DEI programs and initiatives, and then Universities and other institutions complied.
  2. When the Trump administration ordered the arrest and deportation of student protestors, and universities (and the Supreme Court) allowed this to happen.
  3. When the Trump administration threatened to deny universities of federal student loan and grant funding, and universities said and did nothing.

These are just three simple examples, all involving universities and colleges. These educational institutions DID NOTHING to stand up for equity and diversity programming, to protect the first amendment, to keep their foreign students safe, or argue against the deprivation of funding upon which they (and their students) rely. They did nothing. Instead, institutions who claim certain values appeared willing to forsake these values simply because someone who appears to be higher than they are on the totem pole of power told them to.

The burning question here is why didn’t they JUST SAY NO!?

The easy answer might be because of money. Each of these orders were accompanied by a threat of financial deprivation. The more subtle answer, and one even more significant than money, is the reality that every single institution who has complied with the president’s orders are patriarchal in nature and structure. The fact that they so readily bowed to threats proves that they are so entrenched in the system that they are willing to forsake the stated values of the institution and the rights of their students in favor of their own place within the system. “Yes sir, Mr. President, go ahead and deport our students, threaten their first-amendment rights, create an environment that deprives people of color, who struggle with disabilities, who don’t fit into “traditional” definitions of gender and sexuality, etc. with opportunities, etc.  Go ahead and do all this and we will stand by and watch and do nothing.”  By kowtowing to the demands of a bully, they secure their place within the system.

By remaining in a system that rules by threats and intimidation, they have made themselves the cause of their own demise.  What is true of every oppressive system is true here. By letting the bully win, you have already lost.

The correct response to oppression, is and has always been to

JUST SAY NO!

On both an individual and macrocosmic level, the path to escaping oppression begins with one single word, and that word is NO. Just say no! To the universities and other institutions receiving orders from the current administration that are accompanied by threats, just say no! Say no to ICE raids. Say no to the elimination of your DEI programs (or maintain the programming and call it something else!  DUH!). Say no to threats against the right to free speech, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly. When threatened with the withholding of federal student loan and grant funding, come together with other educational institutions and file a class-action lawsuit against the president. JUST SAY NO!

The same goes for each and every one of us. We live in a nation in which we have been given certain rights and in which these rights are said to be guaranteed. Stand up for those rights. Say no to threats and intimidation. Say no to those things that threaten the rights of others.

Escaping an oppressive system begins with one simple word, and that word is NO. Just say it!

Under patriarchy we lose:

  •   Access to our own inner authority.
  •   Freedom to discern our own truth and choose our own path.
  •  Belief in ourselves as loveable for exactly who we are without having to seek after acceptance or approval.
  • The power of our own executive functioning as seen in our relentless search for a savior.

In this six-week course, we will explore the ways in which we have been imprisoned by the patriarchy and the subtle ways in which this imprisonment is experienced.

Learn more and enroll HERE

Turning a Corner?

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

Sitting in witness of the flailing tantrums of the patriarchy, I can’t help but feel as if the children have started to wear themselves out. At the same time, it seems the grown ups in the room are starting to wake up out of their collective dozing and are beginning to come together for the purpose of intervention. There is a time for letting children flail and sometimes they just need a time out. It seems we are quickly approaching time-out.

All of this coincides with what I’ve been feeling deep in my intuitive self, the flailing and panic that has defined the past several weeks is about to turn a corner. March, I feel, will be made up of an entirely different kind of ending energy.

Remember, we are living through an experiment called representative democracy. This is an experiment that began only 250 years ago. In the scheme of things, this is a very young experiment. There are bound to be bumps in the road, a changing of course, and abject failure. Each failure, every bump, provides us with an opportunity to correct our course – or continue on toward complete and utter collapse.

Course correction would always be my choice. Human beings are flawed and imperfect. As such, so are our creations. Errors in judgment, mistakes and failures provide us with an opportunity to learn and make changes that set us back on the proper course.

The American dream isn’t a bad one. It’s just incomplete. Initially created out of the wound of monarchy, it inadvertently created more of the same – a system that favored a specific few. Each expansion of liberties (for women, people of color, immigrants, etc.) came with a fight. Today, more and more have realized how the system was not made for them, and are seeking to have their place in the American dream. Those for whom the system was originally created, (as always), don’t want that. They believe that ensuring liberties for more deprives them of their perceived freedoms.

How wrong they are. How wrong they have always been. For 250 years it has always been the same demographic of Americans who have fought against liberties for others. Always. Why? Because they come from a place of lack. From this perception of lack, they grab, grasp, clutch, cling to, and hoard …. Well….everything! They have become greedy and gluttonous. They seek after power. They believe that controlling the masses and keeping us small gives them more of what they believe they deserve.

They do not understand that freedom for one means freedom for all. They do not understand that by eliminating obstacles to the American dream and ensuring the freedom of each individual does not make us weaker, but stronger. When the essential needs of each human being are met, our nation will thrive. People will be happier and healthier, They will feel more secure and safe. When human beings feel safe, secure, happy and healthy, they willingly participate in making the world a better place.

I feel a certain kind of sorrow for those men who think they rule our nation. They seem to be frightened little boys who were never shown love and whose only example of masculinity was condemnation and neglect – we can see this in the way they “father” their own children and how they seek to govern our nation. When our childhood wounds are not healed, we are bound to inflict those wounds upon others.

This is exactly what we’ve witnessed in the past several weeks of certain people taking office, and others hired to do a job that has no place in the checks and balances of proper governance.

Things have just been weird. While shock and trauma have seemed to define the past several weeks, we are turning a corner. Of this I am certain.

I’m not saying that overnight things will suddenly get better or tantrumming toddlers will just go away. Instead, I feel as if appropriate course corrections will start to take place. The toddlers are growing tired and are beginning to lose interest in the chaos they have been creating. The system of checks and balances that have (up until now) defined our nation are gathering their resources and galvanizing strength. More importantly, the past several weeks have shown us the holes in the system and where the structure that holds up the so-called American dream has failed. This awareness will provide an opportunity for the system to correct itself, plugging the holes and creating new checks and balances to insure this doesn’t happen again.

Or, the whole thing will collapse upon itself. (shrug). As a people, we’re being given a choice as to how we want to live. Do we want to continue to live by a system built out of an unhealed wound that privileges only some or do we want to live in a way that we can all be authentically free? My choice is the latter. How are you going to choose?

PS:  Remember, true freedom exists within us and is independent of what is happening outside of us. Today I’m speaking of externals over which sometimes we have no control. The inner, however, is always within our grasp!  Focus on that and what is outside will work itself out. All things eventually return to equilibrium.

Foreseen and Forewarned

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Wow!  This has been a chaotic couple of weeks!  In the midst of the chaos, I want to offer some words, if not of comfort, at least of perspective.

Everything we are seeing today has been foreseen and forewarned – by myself and by a whole slew of other individuals who have been able to read the sign of the times and have come to surmise where humanity is heading. All signs have pointed us here:

THIS is the death throes of the patriarchy.

As much as I don’t personally care for Donald Trump and the way he presents in the world (neither do I care much for his buddies), I clearly see how the actions he has been taking since his inauguration are those of clearing.  Like a scythe, he is hacking away at all we have come to know as the foundations of governance and how a government provides for its people. Some might suggest his actions reflect those of a tyrant, oligarch, autocrat, or dictator.  Perhaps. Beyond initial appearances, however, I see a greater work (beyond DT) at hand.

The clearing that Trump is attempting, provides us with an opportunity to examine what’s been cleared (or attempted to clear) and separate the wheat from the chaff.  What in the hacking is legitimately excess and unnecessary waste and what do we want to preserve as a useful provision of federal governance?

In this, we are being given the invitation to step forward and claim what is ours. In order to do this, we have to use our own discernment, setting aside blind obedience to an outside perceived authority while collectively claiming what we consider important for the new world that is being born out of the dregs of the old.

Death is painful and the initial reaction is often shock. “How can he do this? Does he actually have this kind of power?” When we wait, and breathe, we often learn that no, he doesn’t have this power, like the cases in which the judicial branch has stood up and Trump has been forced to rescind his orders. In this, he is also learning. Like a three-year old, he is testing the limits of presidential power and (if the system works as it should) the other branches of government show him where he’s stepped over the line.  When the system fails, then it is up to us – perhaps in the context of the Constitution of the United States – perhaps with a vision toward something better.

For too long, we have relied on and trusted in the government to have our backs – to provide for our needs, keep us safe, and ensure that we have equal access to the American dream. Herein lies the greatest lie – the government has never truly done any of this. When we’re really truly honest, we know and understand the lie for what it is – a dangling carrot for which we have been willing to give up our own power.

Now is the time for us to live beyond the lie.

The same is true of Robert Kennedy Jr. I think the man has a screw or two loose, BUT, through his efforts, he is shining a light on the shortfalls of the American medical system. In no world am I anti-vaxx, and I wholly advocated for masking during the pandemic. AND, corporate medicine is not serving us. In some ways it might be killing us. While RFK’s plan seems to be to decimate the current system in favor of wholistic medicine. I personally believe (and have experienced in my own life) there is room for both. RFK’s extremist policies may be the exact pendulum swing that we need to find a place in the middle where healthcare is truly healthcare, and not just the treating of symptoms at our expense and for the profit of insurance, pharmaceutical, and healthcare corporations.

This dismantling is what we’ve been waiting for.  It has been foreseen and forewarned. In this, there is a strange kind of relief. The dying may be painful, and there will indeed be loss. And, I believe there is a greater work at hand. The greater work is the birth of a new world – no longer of someone else’s choosing, but our own. In this we are being invited to ask the questions: what in the old world needs to die and what do we want to preserve? What do we want to be part of the new world and what would be in our best interest to leave behind? And this choice is our own – not Trump’s, not RFK’s, but our own. But first we have to see beyond the illusion of fear and into the heart of the matter – an unsustainable system is in the throes of its collapse so that something more sustainable and equitable might take its place.

PS: you may find it helpful to seek out the loopholes in Trump’s executive orders. I believe these may be intentional – on the surface appeasing the certain audience, but looking deeper, ultimately unenforceable, thereby helping those the order seems to condemn.

To further support yourself during the dying of the patriarchy while clearing the way of something new, join us for this six-week LIVE (via ZOOM) course.

Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Starting March 5, 2025

Learn more HERE.

Hope in the Perceived Darkness

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Across social media platforms, the reactions have been either silence or sentiments of despair and hopelessness. I haven’t yet seen celebration, but I’ve definitely seen grief.

As for myself, I have spent too many years and too much time in deep prayer over the role Donald Trump is playing in the unfolding human drama to get upset. Once I got over the initial shock in 2016 of his victory over Hillary Clinton (let’s be honest, Hillary was less than a perfect candidate), I prayed, “Please help me understand the larger purpose at work here.” I’ve shared before what I was given to understand, but I’ll share it again in case you missed it:

Donald Trump is playing the role of the Angel of Death.

Biblically, the Angel of Death arrived at crossroads times to bring liberation to the enslaved by destroying the power of the ruling class. The Angel of Death is perceived as benevolent from the perspective of those being liberated, and malevolent by those who are losing their power.

In the short term, it may appear as if a Trump presidency will deprive some of freedoms they once had while elevating the status of the ruling class, but there is so much more at play here than what is in our immediate sight.

Stepping back……way back…..away from the media propaganda, political rhetoric, and those who benefit from creating (perceived) division….is a 10,000 year old human experiment coming to an end. This experiment began with fear and ended with patriarchal power. This experiment has reached its limits and will result in the extinction of humankind if equilibrium is not restored.

Donald Trump is being called to play a role in the restoration of that equilibrium.  In the short term, and through eyes conditioned by division, we may not like what we see. To see evidence of this restoration we will have to look at things through a new set of eyes.  Some of this evidence we may already see. For some, we will have to look beyond what is right in front of us to a time that we do not yet know.

Hope and Trust are two words that may prove helpful as we navigate this transitory time.

Hope – not in that which is outside of us, in some person of perceived authority and power – but hope in ourselves. A big part of the dying system is the savior complex – the idea or illusion that there is someone outside of us who is going to save us. Instead, we are here to save ourselves. We are the hope we’ve been looking for.

Trust – in a bigger story at play. In the natural unfolding of the universe story. In a higher plan. In God (if that is your thing). But most importantly – Trust in yourself. Trust in the Love that you are. Trust that this Love has the power to not only transform yourself, but also has the power to transform the world.

As the Angel of Death, Donald Trump is helping to facilitate the destruction of all the institutions and systems that have benefitted from the conditioning that has left us feeling powerless. On the other side of this destruction, should we accept the invitation, is a world in which all of humanity is empowered to come forward with our own unique giftedness for the sake of our own fulfillment, and in service to the good of the all. This can only happen, however, if we have hope and trust in ourselves and believe in the power of Love.

By dividing we have been conquered.

By uniting we will be set free.

Transcending Division

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

Recently I spoke of the perceived division that America has been caught up in for these past many years and the opportunities we have to transcend that division, find common ground, and work together for the good of the all.  To do this, however, we first have to heal the division between us. This may sound like an impossible task, but from personal experience, I can attest that moving beyond division (especially political) is not only possible, the effort is profoundly worthwhile.

Let me share with you two stories from my own life that demonstrate this point…

Before sharing these stories, I should probably share where I tend to stand politically. Based on my social media and other public accounts, some would likely think of me as a bleeding-heart liberal. On some policies, maybe. But in truth, I tend to be moderate-to-progressive while being somewhat left leaning. In an electoral college system, this means that for the past many elections, I have cast my vote for the democratic candidate. That is not to say I wouldn’t vote for a candidate of another party, if their policies were in line with my beliefs and vision of what our country can be. It’s just that for most of my adult life, the democratic platform has more closely aligned with my beliefs.

I should also add that I have many friends and family members, who I deeply love and respect, who tend to vote differently than I. Knowing these individuals and what is important to them, I can (for the most part) understand their choices. Even if I don’t understand them, I can honor their choice. Their vote doesn’t make me love them any less.

Love, as it turns out, transcends division.

Now on to the stories that demonstrate some simple ways in which we can begin to move beyond division as a culture and find common ground…

The first happened sometime after the Parkland school shooting. As you likely remember, there was a loud cry for a ban on guns along with an equally loud cry in defense of the second amendment. In the midst of the outcry, not being a gun owner myself, and really knowing nothing about guns, I reached out to a good friend who both a gun owner and a strong advocate for second amendment rights. I asked if we could meet and discuss all of the above. I reached out to this friend because I knew he would provide me with intelligent, well-researched, and historically accurate information. I also knew that this would be a civil conversation.

It was. He instructed me on the history and original intention of the second amendment. He explained the current gun laws and all the protections therein. We discussed guns for hunting, assault weapons, and handguns – and where they fit into the discussion. In the end, I felt I could make an informed decision about where I stand on the topic of gun ownership. As it turns out, my friend and I discovered we had arrived at a similar position, perhaps with a few nuances, but that we could honor those differences between us.

Perceived division arriving at common ground.

The second conversation was more recent as it related to the 2024 presidential election. I knew of several family members and friends who voted differently than I did. In the midst of a friendly chat, I learned of another friend who had voted in that way. This is one of my closest male friends and I wasn’t surprised about his vote based on his background and life experiences, but I was curious, so I invited him into a conversation. I wanted to know what inspired him to vote the way he did, and he wanted to know what motivated me to vote the way I did. We had a respectful and informative conversation without judgment or condemnation. We both wanted to understand the other because we are friends and care about each other – and that’s what friends do. I think I can speak for both of us in saying that while we chose differently, we could understand why the other chose the way they did and honor that choice.

Differences don’t have to end a friendship.

Admittedly, both examples were conversations that happened between trusted friends who were emotionally mature and could carry on a civil conversation without judgment or condemnation. No one was attempting to prove they were right or convince anyone of anything. I don’t know what a similar conversation would look like with a stranger or with one who appears to hold violent beliefs. If we ever want to heal the division that has been created and imposed between us, however, and work toward finding a common ground from which we can improve our lives, we have to start somewhere.  

Assembling Your “Stay-Bag”

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

Recently, I have heard a lot of chatter in the news and in social media about assembling go-bags. The go-bag contains necessary items for survival for when the shit hits the fan. Go-bags are equally helpful in case of a natural disaster forcing evacuation.  Amazon even sells already assembled go-bags with more things than anyone would even think they might need.

In this chatter I hear many people talking about fleeing the country should (insert reason here) happen. While fleeing the country might entertain our thoughts, the reality is that many, if not most of us do not have the resources or the means to leave.  Furthermore, what, if any, country is willing to welcome asylum-seeking Americans into their country, especially when current political rhetoric centers around the threat of closing our own borders? (insert shrug emoji)

The reality is that no matter how bad things might get, most Americans have no choice but to stay put – if not for financial reasons, then by calling. I, for one, have been told in no uncertain terms is fleeing America a choice for me. I am meant to stay here and ride out the waves of whatever may come – being both witness and a source of support for those who need it. I suspect the same is true for many. I know the same to be true for many I call colleagues and friends.

For those of us who are to stay put, we will not be assembling our go-bag.  Instead, we are being called to assemble our “stay-bag.”  The stay-bag is all that we need to survive where we are. While the stay-bag may vary from person to person, there are essential elements that I believe we all need:

  • A sound practice – one that allows us to find center when all that is around us is chaos.
  • A place we can call sanctuary. For me, this is my home. In this sanctuary, we are able to find rest and feelings of safety from the chaos of the outside world. My home is my monastery, my church, and the place where I welcome family and friends.
  • A safe community – for me this is my family, close friends, and colleagues. Some are local. Some are at a distance.
  • SOS contacts – those we can turn to when it all becomes too much or feels completely insane. Those with whom we can be vulnerable and share the deepest fears or losses of our hearts.
  • Professional Support – spiritual counselors (like me), therapists, yoga teachers, massage therapists, acupuncturists, compassionate physicians, etc.  Anyone and everyone that we can turn to for our own well-being.  
  • Enjoyment – those simple things that nourish our souls. Books, TV, spending time with friends, art, music, dancing, being in nature, etc. In this, it is helpful to remember that even in the darkest of times, humanity has found support and inspiration in “the arts” – whatever form those arts took.

In this season of giving, and as we approach the new year, perhaps the most important thing we can give to ourselves is all that we need to survive this next stage in the evolution of human consciousness and the unfolding of the American experiment.

What is in your “stay-bag?”