Illuminata  Thoughts, Prayers, Rites of Passage
Prayer "...changes people at a cellular level, and with each one who changes, others are brought miraculously closer to enlightenment." Prayer thus can save the world.  Marianne Williamson, celebrated author ofA Return to Love, meditates on the nature of prayer and its collective power in this commentary, and offers actual prayers that address our hopes and struggles.The first part ofIlluminataexpresses the inimitable Williamson conviction in the collective spiritual revolution at hand. "We seek to replace an old, oppressive order, not so much politically or socially, but within our minds where it lives and works," she writes with unbridled energy and urgency. Although her examples of individuals who exemplify this change can be daunting, still they offer vivid pictures of human courage and generosity.  For instance, she cites the character played by Ben Kingsley inSchindler's Listas exemplifying selfless acts of generosity in a tormented world.  This suggests that her book is a kind of path through human spiritual evolution. Indeed, for Williamson, illumination is "...the spiritual tunnel through which the soul finds its way out of ego-bound darkness into mystical light."We are reminded that the purpose of prayer is not to gain an object of desire, or relief from one's hounding problems, or even results that are particularly discernible. The purpose is to experience God. To that end, Williamson offers seven sections on prayers, making this a practical text as well as a spirited commentary. The reader will find a vast range of prayers--daily; celebratory; those that seek relief from depression and despair; prayers for ritual; and prayers that expand into the larger realm of social justice (such as "Amends to the Native American"), demonstrating Ms. Williamson's ongoing commitment to join the political and the spiritual.