“I think my battle with ALS has taught me that power can come from unlikely sources. I would of course instantly trade my new found political power for the physical power that the disease has stolen from me, but I want my story to be something more than tragedy. My hope has been that by throwing myself into democratic participation despite my obstacles, I can encourage others to do the same. And the surprising lesson for me, the thing I wasn’t expecting, is that participating in popular democracy is a rejuvenating, healing experience. Like coming to church, I suppose, being part of a political community means being part of something greater than ourselves. It means escaping the limitations of our individual bodies and souls, and connecting to a spirit and a lineage much older and more powerful, and one that will live on long past any of us.”

A conversation with Ady Barkan and Bradley Whitford in the Rector’s Forum at All Saints Church, Pasadena, on Sunday, December 22, 2019.

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