The Living Document 4
January 31, 2025
The Living Document Part 4
A proclamation is a type of document. The first proclamations affecting our country were by King George of England. After our independence, proclamations were made by George Washington and every American president since. President Eisenhower wrote a proclamation admitting Alaska to the United States. And possibly the most famous proclamation in American history was issued by Abraham Lincoln — "The Emancipation Proclamation."
The word proclamation comes from the Latin words "pro," which means for, and "clamare," which means to cry out (put these two words together, and they literally mean "for crying out loud.") In Medieval England, before the printing press, when the mayor or high official made a proclamation, the town crier walked the streets with the written announcement, shouting out the official decree. The words preceding the proclamation were: "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye."
Do you have something you need to say but are afraid of the consequences? Would you be shunned, shamed, or silenced? Do you have a boundary that needs to be proclaimed? Do you have a dream you desire to speak into the world? Do you need to claim your territory or emancipate yourself from something? Or do you want to proclaim something so everyone will know your truth? Do you need to proclaim something to yourself, your ego, your inner critic, or your soul?
Spiritual practice: Journal your answers to all the questions above and see where you land. What are you proclaiming? If you had not proclaimed, what would have happened to the unexpressed feelings?
Self-inquiry: What would your soul like to proclaim?
Dear God,
Free me to declare, proclaim, and be the living document of my soul's truth.
