W. H. Auden, Jennifer Hereth on Refugees & Fascism

The next poem was composed by W. H. Auden in the course of the disturbing goings-on in 1939, when Europe was exploding with fascist fervor and democracies have been busy making lodging as a substitute of standing up for humanitarian ideas such because the rights of refugees for dignity and shelter. 

Accompanying the poem are work by Jennifer Hereth, a pal and former college member at UCS, from her newest e book, my brush—my voice. There she says that “refugees will grow to be probably the most outstanding archetype of the 21^st Century.” 

She attracts “Refugees Chaos” and “Mom and Youngster Refugee” and “Local weather Change Refugees” and “Refugees on the Transfer” and “Boat Folks Refugees” and “Warfare Torn Mom and Youngster” (in Gaza) and “The Good Samaritan” which tells an altogether totally different tackle “The Different” and on vacationers than the vitriol of many politicians.*

Refugee Blues by W. H. Auden

Say this metropolis has ten million souls,
Some live in mansions, some live in holes:
But there’s no place for us, my expensive, but there’s no place for us. 

As soon as we had a rustic and we thought it truthful,
Look within the atlas and also you’ll discover it there:
We can not go there now, my expensive, we can not go there now.

Within the village churchyard there grows an outdated yew,
Each spring it blossoms anew:
Previous passports can’t do this, my expensive, outdated passports can’t do this.

The consul banged the desk and stated,
‘Should you’ve acquired no passport you’re formally lifeless’:
However we’re nonetheless alive my expensive, however we’re nonetheless alive.

Went to a committee; they supplied me a chair;
Requested me politely to return subsequent yr:
However the place lets go to-day, my expensive, however the place lets go to-day?

Got here to a public assembly; the speaker acquired up and stated:
‘If we allow them to in they’ll steal our every day bread’:
He was speaking of you and me, my expensive, he was speaking of you and me.

Thought I heard the thunder rumbling within the sky;
It was Hitler over Europe, saying, ‘They need to die’:
O we have been in his thoughts, my expensive, O we have been in his thoughts.

Noticed a poodle in a jacket fixed with a pin;
Noticed a door opened and a cat let in:
However they weren’t German Jews, my expensive, however they weren’t German Jews.

Went down the harbour and stood upon the marina,
Noticed the fish swimming as in the event that they have been free:
Solely ten ft away, my expensive, solely ten ft away.

Walked by means of a wooden, noticed the birds within the bushes.
That they had no politicians and sang at their ease:
They weren’t the human race, my expensive, they weren’t the human race.

Dreamed I noticed a constructing with a thousand flooring,
A thousand home windows and a thousand doorways:
Not certainly one of them was ours, my expensive, not certainly one of them was ours.

Stood on an excellent plain within the falling snow;
Ten thousand troopers marched back and forth:
On the lookout for you and me, my expensive, searching for you and me.

One nice distinction between fascism right this moment and fascism rising within the Nineteen Thirties is that individuals then couldn’t predict what would occur by compromising with it. However right this moment we have now no excuse. We do know. We noticed it play out in WWII.

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*The photographs listed here are used with permission from the artist. See Jennifer Hereth, my brush—my voice at www.jenniferhereth.com. All earnings from her e book are donated to “International Refuge.”

See Matthew Fox, Creativity: The place the Divine and the Human Meet.

And Fox, The Return of Father Sky: A Cosmic Thriller for Children of All Ages.

And Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox, Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Imaginative and prescient for a New Technology, pp. 149-172.

And Fox, Authentic Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality.

And Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating Items for the Peoples of the Earth.

And Fox, Trump & The Maga Motion as Anti-Christ.

Banner Picture: The duvet of my brush—my voice by Jennifer Hereth: “Refugees Attempting to find Water within the Desert..” Used with permission of the artist.

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Queries for Contemplation

Do you see each Auden’s poem and Hereth’s work as pertinent to our second in historical past? Do you agree that ethical and prophetic creativeness that artists present us with are a vital a part of maintaining hope alive and galvanizing non-violent motion in a time of darkness and a triple darkish evening? (“Triple darkish evening” is within the title of my new e book on John of the Cross.)

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Really helpful Studying

Creativity: The place the Divine and Human Meet

As a result of creativity is the important thing to each our genius and sweetness as a species but in addition to our capability for evil, we have to educate creativity and to show methods of steering this God-like energy in instructions that promote love of life (biophilia) and never love of dying (necrophilia). Pushing effectively past the bounds of standard Christian doctrine, Fox’s concentrate on creativity makes an attempt nothing lower than to form a brand new ethic.
“Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow.  Numerous numbers shall be completely satisfied to comply with his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, writer, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Residing in Sin

The Return of Father Sky: A Cosmic Thriller for Children of All Ages

The second e book within the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables collection, The Return of Father Sky helps girls and boys to rejoice a brand new relationship with the masculine by the use of Father Sky, whose return excites pleasure and marvel and chance that enlarge the soul to welcome others and all creation. Written in a rhyming Dr. Seuss-like fashion, this full-color, superbly illustrated e book, written by world- famend theologian Matthew Fox weaves collectively trendy science and traditional spirituality in a whimsical, entertaining format for example necessary truths to readers aged 4 and up. With art work curated from illustrators around the globe, this e book expresses the enjoyment and marvel of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work collectively for the therapeutic of our planet.

Authentic Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality

Matthew Fox lays out a complete new route for Christianity—a route that’s in reality very historical and really grounded in Jewish pondering (the truth that Jesus was a Jew is usually uncared for by Christian theology): the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an prolonged and deeply developed approach.
“Authentic Blessing makes accessible to the Christian world and to the human group a radical remedy for all darkish and derogatory views of the pure world wherever these might have originated.” –Thomas Berry, writer, The Dream of the Earth; The Nice Work; co-author, The Universe Story

Creation Spirituality: Liberating Items for the Peoples of the Earth

Fox’s spirituality weds the therapeutic and liberation present in North American Creation Spirituality and in South American Liberation Theology. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of each spiritual and political persuasion to unite in a brand new imaginative and prescient by means of which we be taught to honor the earth and the individuals who inhabit it because the present of an excellent and simply Creator.
“A watershed theological work that provides a typical floor for spiritual seekers and activists of all stripes.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Follow.
“I’m studying Liberating Items for the Folks of the Earth by Matt Fox.  He’s one which fills my coronary heart and thoughts for brand new life regardless of a lot that’s violent in our world.” ~ Sister Dorothy Stang.

Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

Matthew Fox tells us that he had all the time shied away from utilizing the time period “Anti-Christ” as a result of it was so typically used to unfold management and concern. Nonetheless, given right this moment’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables on this e book using the archetype for the reason for justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a second, for analyzing the archetype of the Antichrist, it’s now…Learn this e book with an open thoughts. Good and evil are actual forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, writer of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For speedy entry to Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. 
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white pictures, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. 
To obtain a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for speedy obtain.

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