That’s why I feel, from my Catholic roots in “just war“ theology and spiritual training in force for righting social/civilizational injustice, I can kiss such an icon as this, in these times of bizarre necessity:

Oops, not that. That is a screenshot of the methodology of a prominent and influential Jesuit priest. It appeared in my Twitter feed. He is calling on an icon in/of Kyiv to get Mary to pray, herself, to intercede to something “else” on behalf of her people who she knows are being crucified. Astounding, what is out there. This deeply influential spiritual leader, in the middle of a barbaric war, is addressing this venerated wood-and-gold icon by name, directly, asking it to pray to some higher-still “something”, God, whatever, for her crucified children. If it made a difference, this icon praying, wouldn’t she already be causing real-world amelioration through it? Things that we could see? So weird how we still dangle that out in front of people’s faces to fool them, even as late as in the year 2022. People are actually fooled by the stuff, even intelligent people I know.

This is the icon I feel more primally drawn to. I would kiss that icon gladly, I’ve noticed. Embracing “himsa”?

And I don’t feel totally comfortable about that, either. It just seems like there is an evil here which needs to be manifestly opposed. This menacing wolf understands only crippling force or else valiant defeat to the death, of all, maybe. This is the world we live in, interconnected. Sucks.

That’s just dukkha.

Fuelled, in these days and also at the heart of the coming American Civil War, by theocratic authoritarianism.

After spending a few days with Pablo and Stefanie on some of the organization for the coming novice online course, I am now able to focus better on activating posthaste these donations to the situation in Ukraine. I have consulted the list promoted by the Yale professor, Timothy Snyder, who is deeply involved in the history of that part of the world, Ukraine especially.

This is one group — €1000 from Zen Center Regensburg community:

Now we are looking at a second group which could be effective for supporting nonlethal attempts to block this invasion and turn it back. Of course, do Ukrainian Red Cross is at the top of that list. But if someone has an updated idea for some thing that is of direct benefit, and not paying for the organizational overhead of some vast organization, please feel free to write me at the Zen Center Regensburg official email address ([email protected]). I’d like to do this within the next few days. Send me a link and why it’s worthy. Let’s go.

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