Esther MY HERO!

Sydney Morning Herald June
Madonna may have undergone a few image shifts during her tumultuous career - but now she wants to be called Esther. The Material Girl was inspired to take on a new name by her study of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah. But in an interview broadcast in the US, she also paints a picture of a normal home life, with messy children and marital tiffs.

"Even my children have to clean up their mess, clean up their rooms," she said. "Manners, thank you, please, take your dishes to the sink. I mean... Gratitude, being grateful, that is, that has to happen. "If it's traditional to be a decent human being, then I'm traditional," she told American ABC News. Less traditional is her tidiness mantra for her children: "Pick up your s--t."

Madonna and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, have a son together, four-year-old Rocco, and Madonna has a seven-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her previous relationship with her former personal trainer, Carlos Leon. She said the best thing about growing older was "getting smarter". The key to a successful marriage is "learning to apologise", she said. She also told of her and Ritchie's ritual after she has had a tough stage performance - she takes a bath and he comes and chats about his day.

The interview showed a mature Madonna who has put her wild days behind her. She said she prays every day. She admitted: "I brought a lot of chaos to people's lives, because of my selfish behavior." But despite being a mother and children's author she insists that being a rebel is still good.

She said Kabbalah is "incredibly punk rock" and anti-establishment. "Kabbalists believe in immortality. They believe that you can overcome death, overcome illness, whatever, so, it's incredibly good to be a rebel," she said. And she told that she had taken on the Hebrew name Esther. "I was named after my mother. My mother died when she was very young, of cancer, and I wanted to attach myself to another name," she said. "This is in no way a negation of who my mother is. I wanted to attach myself to the energy of a different name."

Its yet another fascinating example of spirituality explored outside the mainstream church. Is it selfishly crafting a faith in the image of who we wish we were? Rejection of organised religion? Valid self expression with a sense of 'the other/transcendent'? AND what can you and I learn from modern movements or expressions of faith which might shape our futures as part of a community of people called Christians gathering in something like what we might define as 'church'.

Esther as Cheryl, an esteemed colleague from Victoria noted, is an interesting choice... wonder why?

As an aside has anybody read either of Madonna/Esther' childrens books... 'Mr Peabody's Apples' is a terrific story about the power of 'gossip' or spreading untruths about others and the damage this trade in heresay can cause!! Beautifully illustrated too!