Carol Lynn Pearson September - October 2008 Newsletter

 

Yesterday I went to visit St. Francis of Assisi. There he was in the Oakland Hills studio of my artist friend Trevor Southey (http://www.trevorsouthey.com), (whose story I tell in NO MORE GOODBYES) life-size, brown, nearly ready to be sent to the foundry to make his journey from clay into bronze. It’s always a mystical experience when I get to go to Trevor’s and see (and even touch) the magic of his work. There is always reverence there, always a thoughtful spirituality. I spent a few minutes standing directly below Assisi’s face, looking up into his chiseled eyes. The only thing I really knew about this thirteenth century saint was the prayer attributed to him: "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace...."

Peace. I felt it there. I wish I felt it everywhere. I wish it was in the morning newspaper that I can’t resist reading as I eat my granola even though I know it dilutes the nourishment. In the television news that testifies to the awful political polarities that are draining our good will and our trust. In the emails I receive daily that document the divisiveness that is happening in my own religious community over California’s Proposition 8.

Because I have been called by life to address the issues of how we treat our gay brothers and sisters, and because this newsletter was born from my two recent works that address the subject, I must confess that the current situation is very painful for me. Last newsletter I referred interested parties to a couple of websites:

1) The official pro-amendment site: http://www.protectmarriage.com

2) A site developed by LDS people for marriage equality: http://mormonsformarriage.com

Because much of the rhetoric around the amendment has come from a document titled, "Six Consequences if Proposition Eight Fails," I would like to refer those interested to two sites.

1) Support for those "Six Consequences" can be found in the online "Meridian Magazine: click here http://www.meridianmagazine.com/familyleadernetwork/080908fails.html

2) Disputing those consequences is a commentary by LDS attorney and BYU adjunct law professor, Morris Thurston, which can be found by clicking http://www.clpearson.com/thurston.htm

Today at church I hugged people I know to be on both sides of the issue. I hope that when November comes and goes, no matter the outcome of Proposition 8, all of our hearts will be opened, wounds can be healed, and we can remember we are all children of the same God–in particular our gay family members and friends: my dear friend Trevor, your son, your neighbor, your sister, your co-worker, my new friend Clark, a brilliant young gay returned missionary, whose story can be found here, (http://mormonsformarriage.com/) who recently moved into the boundaries of my ward, and who said to me the other day, "Carol Lynn, I miss going to church. Do you know of a gay-friendly church I could look into?" How I long for the day when that question will never be asked.

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In the meantime, may all of us try to live by the words of that wonderful brown, clay saint into whose eyes I looked yesterday and who said when he was in the flesh:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

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THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO GIVE A COPY OF NO MORE GOODBYES TO YOUR FRIENDS AT CHURCH AND ELSEWHERE! SPECIAL: FREE COPY OF NO MORE GOODBYES to everyone who buys any book or DVD from my website before midnight of my birthday, September 27th. Personally autographed. And as always–buy five, get two free http://clpearson.com/personal_gifts.htm.

TELEPHONE CONSULATATIONS: http://clpearson.com/consultations.htm.

PRIVATE RETREATS: http://www.clpearson.com/CLPRetreatFLYER.pdf.

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FACING EAST (play about Mormon couple dealing with suicide of gay son):

Arts Administration program

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

November 13-15

Utah Valley University

Orem, Utah

April, 2009

(Other productions to be announced soon)

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"Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many."

- Spinoza

Peace and love to all,

Carol Lynn