I'm Fine, Really

Can we take a moment to talk about prayer? I know, not the general Flog Blog Topic you're used to...

But give me a chance before you jump ship and go to the next blog.

In addition to the many components of self that make up the identity of Me, being a Reiki Master is just one on the list; however, it is also part of the very essence of who I am, and so when someone tells me the details of an ordeal or illness that they are experiencing, I'll usually say, "I'll light a candle for you." Many times what they perceive in their minds (if they don't know me) is that I am Catholic or whatever other religion that jumps into their head...yeah, I'm not. I'm actually fairly anti-religious in the part that man has corrupted spirituality into a tool of fear and power. I'm also not praying for them.

When I am lighting a candle for someone, I am doing my best to direct all of the healing energy of the Universe toward a pinpointed problem in the hope that the person will find peace within (not necessarily a cure, although that too is possible if that is their internal desire.) It's all about what is best for them, there situation, there life's journey.

So in essence this is my resume for stating that I understand the power of intention.

Intentions directs energy, energy in motion causes change. JMHO.

I really get distressed when people start throwing around the P-word. As in I'll pray for you. How do you nicely tell a person, "Please don't. I'm fine. Really," and not offend them?

Some of you may already see where this is going, some of you will still be scratching your heads in the morning even after I say that I have been trying really hard to like and admire Sarah Palin. First, potentially, she could be our very first female vice-president. That's admirable without putting any political beliefs or agendas on the table. She's also a mother, trying her best to raise a family that is inundated with challenges, a pregnant unwed teenage daughter and an infant with Down's Syndrome. She's young, forty-four, and already achieved remarkable career accolades. So yes, I admire her without a doubt.

I still want to like her.

Today, the headlines raced to grab our attention with "Sarah Palin's Church Prays Away The Gay" because the church she has attended since 2002, Wasilla Bible Church, is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays to heterosexuals through the power of prayer. MSNBC had this article.

I guess I've waited all day for a single word from the McCain/Palin camp denouncing any involvement or support for such a conference by Sarah Palin. I mean, this is the new era of the Republican Party, right? A little less conservative?

Maybe not.

I'm sorry, but I am so offended I cannot even think straight. It is like my brain is skipping as irritatingly as a scratched record (yes, I am from the generation that still had vinyl records.) I've tried to organize my thoughts but get only so far as "how dare they."

But then my brain is already pacing years ahead to the place where we have celebrated a woman as vice-president solely because she is female but neglected to study her politics. The vision of the US prior to Stonewall, before Roe vs Wade, pre-legalized marriage in CA, and pre-equality in benefits for life-partners keeps rolling through my head and it makes me physically ill.

Can we please get just a little separation of church and state? Just a little?
In the meantime, if you feel a need to pray for me..."Please, don't. I'm fine. Really."