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Communicating In Crisis: The First 100 Days

How, why, when and in what manner can we best share information and communicate about political realities during this time in the United States? A parish minister of almost thirty years shares some suggestions for friend groups and faith communities.

First and foremost: verify what you are sharing. Is it true? Is it accurate?

Then stop and ask yourself:

Why do I need to share this right now? These are some good reasons…

•Because there is immediate danger to the local community, people we know and care about, or a request for immediate action and physical presence somewhere.

•Because it’s highly likely that the person you are contacting does not know this information and needs to know it. If this is not likely, consider holding off.

•Because you need comfort, prayer, presence. If so, ask!  E.g, “This executive order just came in and I need to breathe with someone for a few minutes.”  Be sensitive to other people’s anxiety and availability: leave room for them to tell you that this is not a good time.

2. How can we share information without increasing stress? A firehose of news is not productive or helpful.

•Strategize with friend groups how to share information so that there is discretion for all participants about what is being shared (eg disturbing images), that the channel is mute-able, that it is on an encrypted platform, that it never contains incriminating content (even jokes), and that everyone considers their responsibility for tone and intention.

•Refrain from screaming (ALL CAPS).

•Use access to leaders and organizers judiciously. If you are a frequent sharer, consider a weekly round-up. Do not expect a response. Please do not contact leaders and ask, “what’s up?” They will not have time to respond. Visit relevant websites, reliable news outlets and local chat groups. Remember that misinformation flourishes in all of these places, and some of that is intentional.

•Take care of your feelings. Just because friends are making different decisions about how to stay informed, not sharing/posting the same content or any content at all does not mean they don’t care. “Lecturing frightened people is bad praxis.” – someone on Bluesky.

4. “The church should do…” The members and friends in the community are the church! If you have a program idea, see if at least three other people are interested and be prepared to lead it or support it. Then ask us how we can support you by reserving space, figuring out how to structure it, and promoting it.

Remember that chaos and cruelty are the point. Get your sleep, eat regular meals, drink water, touch grass.

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Tarot Consultation

I have been using Tarot cards for about forty years, since my friend Barbara Halas introduced me to them during the Harmonic Convergence (remember THAT??). I was a professional reader for awhile but quit as a pro because I was very uncomfortable with the way that my clients relied on the cards and me when I often felt they should be in therapy or taking real steps to address sometimes dangerous dysfunctions in their lives (including abusive relationships).

Twice, I had my life threatened when I told women that there was violent and dangerous energy around them. They both told their boyfriends that I “told” them to break up with them, and they put me in danger. As a result, I only read selectively for people mature and responsible enough to behave ethically and to protect my privacy as a spiritual guide.

Over the years, I have collected decks and meditated on their images as intuitive prompts, and as visual complement to my extremely verbal brain. This was especially welcome during the pandemic shutdown, when various decks were very healing companions during a time of inchoate and inconsolable grief. I consider the Tarot my friend, a mysterious guide that invites me to connect with image as a way to access deeper wisdom. I have learned over the years that Tarot is, for me, like sitting on a train whizzing through a countryside. The information I get from watching goes by swiftly and I might not know exactly what I glimpsed. I just describe it as it goes by.

I never pressure the cards and they do not pressure me. We have developed a lovely, harmonious connection over the decades.I do not use Tarot to tell fortunes (no one’s fate is sealed) and I do not claim to be a psychic, although I have sometimes been given extremely accurate and specific information for someone while reading. People I have read for remember this, while I do not.

For me, the cards are a form of hospitality offered from the unconscious realm to the rational beings who dedicate the time to listen to and consider the messages that arise. I am a conduit, but I always say that if there is no energy in the reading or it doesn’t feel resonant, put the cards away and enjoy some tea and conversation with no pressure.

What do you pay a Tarot reader? Professionals. usually charge $75-100 per hour. It is a job for them. It is not a job for me, but an offering. Lately I have been suggesting that my friends contribute $35 for a reading because that pays for one day of Dibley’s day care (without transporation — with a ride, it goes up to $42 a day). Sometimes I say to keep their money. Sometimes I say throw me ten bucks. Spiritual work is demanding due to the intense focus required.

I work full time as a parish minister and do not have a lot of time to offer readings, but I feel that spiritual support and direction are going to be important for people to access as we gird our loins for a new year and Trump 2.0. I know my readers to be good and thoughtful people and wanted to let you know that I am available for a session. I am also a certified spiritual director.

A recent spread. I really like working with The Modern Witch’s Tarot deck.
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What Are We Going to DO? Post-Election 2024

A thing I don’t recommend saying to yourself or to anyone else is: “HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS?”Statements like this are too open-ended and signal to your brain and body that you are in distress. They are non-productive. Be aware of how you talk to yourself and others. What we put out and how we focus our minds will either drain or create energy. At the very least, you want to maintain equilibrium.

Pay attention to how certain phrases and mantras activate anxiety and despair in your body. What is the point of that? Is it motivating? Is it helpful? No? Then compassionately consider other ways to direct your thoughts. Instead of cries of dismay or distress, consider the moment. What are you doing? What are you focusing on? Is there a direct threat coming at you? If not, then you are almost certainly able to adjust your focus from “AUGH” to learning and contributing. Set yourself a task. Research an organization, agency, community or individual that is doing the kind of resistance and support work you know is needed. Make yourself a student of their materials and how to get involved. Don’t expect anyone else to do this for you right now. It is your responsibility. If you want to know how we’re going to get through the next four years, ask yourself how YOU are going to get through the next 24 hours or week.

Adjust your oxygen mask. If you have children, they come first. Elders in your care are also a priority. You have to attend to your own mental and physical health, eat, sleep, earn money, keep your home and car functioning. Start looking at what is coming in small doses. You don’t need to follow the news every day. Think strategically without panic. Stay open, curious, and strong. If you have never considered that ours is an essentially violent, aggressive, brutal, sadistic, destructive species that occasionally manages eras of peace and generosity for small populations of people across the globe while others suffer, reflect on it. Adjust to it. It will help immensely. This is nothing new, and until you are facing the firing squad, you should not fall apart. Even when facing the firing squad, remember Fyodr Dostoevsky.