Celtic Wisdom and Democracy

Week of 3/17-22/2025: Celtic Wisdom,
“I Am” Poems, & Democracy at Risk

3/23/2025

March 17, 2025: St. Patrick’s Day 2025: Gifts From the Celtic Tradition

In this time of darkness, Celtic spirituality can be a balm to the soul. Matthew explores two books by Scottish theologian John Philip Newell: Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul and The Great Search. Celtic spirituality does not begin with original sin or put down women or denigrate sexuality; it is all about the sacredness of nature. This “protection prayer,” attributed to St. Patrick, clearly celebrates both the Earth and the cosmos. …I bind to myself today the energy of stars, the brilliance of sun, the whiteness of moon, the splendor of fire, the flashing of lightning, the depth of seas, the fecundity of earth, the solidity of rocks.*

Forest stream. Photo by hash whole.studios on Unsplash

March 18, 2025: Staying Strong: The “I Am” Poems of Ireland & the Gospels

Another dimension to Celtic spirituality is the “I am” poems, prayers that once again begin with the universe and celebrate the awe, wonder and grandeur of the cosmos and our place in it. The cosmic Christ is everywhere in these ancient prayers.

Celtic scholar John O’Donohue calls the following poem “the first poem ever composed in Ireland.” Here are some excerpts: I am the wind which breathes upon the sea, I am the wave of the ocean, I am the murmur of the billows…I am a world of knowledge, I am the point of the lance of battle, I am the God who created the fire in the head. This “I am” language can be found around the world.

March 19, 2025: The Bad News Continues and The Good News Stirs

The bad news continues. Non-stop it seems. Each day brings an onslaught against anything resembling healthy democracy. Trump has rushed to implement as much of Project 2025 as he possibly can. The work of the antichrist archetype is in our midst, as Matthew warned in his book, Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ. The Good News? Resistance is happening in the streets, congressional townhalls, (some) of the media, and in parts of congress and in courtrooms. Moral outrage and spiritual warriorhood is stirring in citizens who are waking up to what is afoot. Fires are being lit in the hearts and minds of many.

Demonstrators protest Project 2025 outside Heritage Foundation. NBC4 Washington

March 20, 2025: More “I AM” Prayers from the East and from Hildegard & Julian

We continue to explore the “I am” prayers. They are prevalent in the East as well as the West. In the Bhagavad Gita, we read the following: I am the Father and Mother of the world….I am deathlessness and death. I am the entire world.…

Meanwhile, Hildegard says about God: I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life. I call forth tears, the aroma of holy work. I am the yearning for good. And Julian of Norwich said: Our Lord Jesus oftentimes said: ‘This I am. This I am. I am what you love. I am what you enjoy. I am what you serve. I am what you long for. I am what you desire. I am what you intend. I am all that is.‘

March 21, 2025: “I Am” Prayers From Aboriginal Poets of Australia

Continuing our exploration of “I am” prayers from around the world, we honor this poem from Hyllus Maris, an aboriginal woman from Australia: I am a child of the Dreamtime People/ Part of the Land, like the gnarled gumtree/ I am the river, softly singing/ Chanting our songs on my way to the sea…I’m the snow, the wind and the falling rain/I’m part of the rocks and the red desert earth/Red as the blood that flows in my veins….

And aboriginal poet Kevin Gilbert offers this poem called “Tree.” I am the tree/ the lean hard hungry land/ the crow and eagle/ sun and moon and sea/ I am the sacred clay/ which forms the base/ the grasses vines and man/ I am all things created…. Creation Spirituality abounds in these poems.

March 22, 2025: Trumpet Sounds, Five Alarm Shouts, of What Is Happening NOW in the U.S.

As things continue to spiral out of control in the U.S., Alexander Panetta of CBS News writes this alarming headline: “U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog.” Staffan Lindberg, head of the Varieties of Democracy project, warns: “If it continues like this, democracy [in the US] will not last another six months.”** Meanwhile, Jamelle Boules writes: “Trump Has Gone from Unconstitutional to Anti-Constitutional.”***

And Thom Hartmann writes: “Welcome to Trump’s America: Where Immigrants Vanish, Courts are Ignored and No One is Safe.”**** What begins with asylum seekers and immigrants can tomorrow be political opponents, journalists or anyone who criticizes the dictator. If ever there were a time for action, it is now.

Democracy Index 2020.” This map shows the state of democracy in our world in 2020. It could look very different next year. Wikimedia Commons. (Click on the link to see the key.)
SIGN THE PLEDGE: Boycott pro-Trump corporations for Lent this year.

*Newell’s literal translation of the ancient Irish text attributed to St. Patrick. See John Philip Newell, Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom For Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World, pp. 72-78.

**Alexander Panetta, “U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog.” CBC News, March 18, 2025.

*** Jamelle Bouie, “Trump Has Gone From Unconstitutional to Anti-Constitutional.” New York Times, March 19, 2025.

****Thom Hartmann, “Welcome to Trump’s America: Where Immigrants Vanish, Courts Are Ignored, and No One Is Safe.” The Hartmann Report, March 18, 2025.

Banner image: Coastal Wales. “I bind to…the depth of seas, the fecundity of earth, the solidity of rocks.” Photo by Cynthia Greb. Used with permission.

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Recommended Reading

One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths

Matthew Fox calls on all the world traditions for their wisdom and their inspiration in a work that is far more than a list of theological position papers but a new way to pray—to meditate in a global spiritual context on the wisdom all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes that are foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all the world spiritual traditions offer wisdom about each.“Reading One River, Many Wells is like entering the rich silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you read this text, you reflect, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Truly no words can fully express my respect and awe for this magnificent contribution to contemporary spirituality.” –Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit

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

Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.

For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement 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 images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.