by Melanie Speros
“We never stop to consider that most of the memos we live by were actually written by highly motivated men.” p. 243
Wow. Glennon is right. I have not really considered the origins of the structures around me. Racism built the world we live in. Sexism built the world we live in. Eew.
This excerpt is a little difficult to write about because it is very political, in my opinion. In the past, I would have been really afraid to say what I think because I wouldn’t have wanted to offend anyone that believed something different. The irony of that does not escape me. In order to be “good,” I would keep my opinions to myself so as not to rock the boat. Eew.
I am interested in the difference that Glennon points out about between religion and spirituality. To me, spirituality is personal. It is listening to your own self and what you know to be true, without being bound by the “rules” of the institutions around you. The story about Abby and her conflict with religion was powerful. Rejecting the rules of the church does not mean you are rejecting God. “When you chose yourself, you chose God. When you walked away from church, you took God with you. God is in you.” (p. 236)
This is all very relevant in our political climate right now. I wonder how religious people could support our racist, sexist president. I know that he says he agrees with the “rules” of many religions. But I wonder if some of his supporters question his motives, but are too afraid to break rank with their church. I wonder, especially as women that might be caged or afraid to rock the boat, what would happen if we lived in a world where we all did what we felt was right, rather than followed the “rules” around us, that were, after all, established by “highly motivated men.”