"The social and cultural environment in which we live is another kind of womb or energy field, and at this time in our history we perceive it as increasingly toxic. This toxicity can seep into our bloodstream, color our energy, cloud our existence and drive us into a trancelike state in which we can easily feel helpless and hopeless," write Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn, a seasoned Catholic writing family.
We are in a period of transition from one era to another, and we must consider what conceptual and emotional baggage we can leave behind as we move slowly toward the future. One thing that can be scrapped is the dominance of competition on all levels of society. Sharing what we have and co-operating with each other are the antidotes to dividing the world into winners and losers.
The Linns see war and the escalation of violence as scary and offer active empathy and peace-making as proper alternatives to endless killing in the name of anti-terrorism campaigns. They also have some harsh things to say about the links between the use of physical punishment of children in religious homes and the advocacy of torture of our national enemies.
As a stay against these toxins, the authors suggest that part of the healing process involves tapping into positive memories of America. Other strategies discussed are healing our diminished sense of self, meeting our needs every day, coming out from under a cloud, and working with the power of the small.
