"Imagine a little ball of gold-
en light that grows to cover
your entire inner vision of
light ... Ask to be lifted
above pain and despair ... Do
not be depressed by the gap
between me and Jesus, because
an even larger gap exists
between me and who I used to
be. Grow ... one a-ha' at a
time."

— Marianne Williamson at a recent
service at Church of Today.

AMY MINDELL
Special to The Jewish News

T

A self-described middle-class Jew leaves L.A.
to lead a Christian church in Warren.

he melodic, lilting voice is
perfectly suited to the deli-
cate, attractive woman
dressed in a brown blazer
and slacks. The several hundred peo-
ple who have come to see her on this
Wednesday afternoon are not disap-
pointed.
The talk is vintage Marianne
Williamson, a Texas-born Jew who has
been called a "New Age guru" (a term
she hates), and she peppers it with refer-
ences to everything from Alcoholics
Anonymous to Judaism to Buddhism.
Her followers (a term she also hates,
preferring "audience") believe she can
take them to a higher spiritual level, and
Church of Today congregants see her
appointment as spiritual leader of their
church as nothing less than divine provi-
dence. Sunday morning attendance at
the Warren church has nearly doubled
since her arrival in March, and while
members pay no dues, they are expected
to tithe.
Williamson's mix of gritty realism,
frank sharing and soulful prayer has hit
home for millions worldwide. These
fans buy her books and tapes and flock
to her lectures, making her one of
America's most popular spiritual leaders,
mentioned in the same breath as spiritu-
al superstars Deepak Chopra and Louise
Hay.
Her first book, A Return to Love,
topped the New York Times bestseller list
for 35 weeks and was the fifth largest
selling book in America in 1992. Her
second book, A Woman's Worth, topped
the bestseller lists for 19 weeks.
But Williamson, a 47-year-old single .

NOMAD

on page 75

10/2
1998

Detroit Jewish News

73

