Encountering Silence
Ashe Van Steenwyk: Silence, Queer Spirituality, and the Prophetic Imagination
Jan 16, 2024
Maki Ashe Van Steenwyk, author and executive director of the Center for Prophetic Imagination, shares their journey from activism to virtual conversations. They discuss the positive and negative aspects of silence, the power of prophetic imagination in activism, the discourse around natural law and the transgender experience, embracing queerness and challenging societal norms, and exploring the duality of existence through a wise squirrel. The hosts express gratitude and call for support.
57:26
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Quick takeaways
- Silence has the power to strip away layers of thinking and open up new ways of perceiving and relating to the world.
- Bringing silence into loud places and being loud in silent places disruptively challenges societal norms and structures, fueling the transformation of oppressive systems and envisioning a more just world.
Deep dives
The Power of Silence and Presence
Silence can be both positive and negative, representing presence and absence. The speaker shares a personal experience of being in a canyon, fasting and experiencing profound silence. At first frustrated, the speaker later had a transformative encounter with a squirrel in the silence, which led to a deep sense of connection and poetic inspiration. This highlights the importance of being open to the unexpected in moments of silence and the potential for profound experiences. The power of silence lies in its ability to strip away layers of thinking and open up new ways of perceiving and relating to the world.
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