Blog
There are forces and voices in our increasingly polarized world that want us to view the issues of the day in a binary way: this or that; good or bad. Most issues are more complicated. This blog seeks to invite people to journey beyond the safety, if not the rigidity, of our silo and our ego – to the soul; where we have the opportunity to see things differently.
An Alternative Response to Fight or Flight
Fight or flight is a physiological response that occurs when we find ourelves in acute stress. The reaction is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare the body to physically take on a threat or to run away. Most of us know the fight or flight impulse,...
The Yes and No of Thanksgiving
I am so grateful for the Thanksgiving holiday. It provides a much-needed break in the relentless pace of the calendar. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to rest and recollect. It encourages gathering – loved ones, yes, but also to gather together moments and memories...
The Shadow Side of the Elite
I received early admission into the cultural elite when I was accepted by early decision at Amherst College in November, 1968. I had a slim awareness that I came from a community and family of some privilege, as did a majority of my Amherst classmates; but I was...
A bishop and gun safety activist offers a way forward from opposing viewpoints.
Instead of dismissing those whose views and experiences are different from our own, the author argues that we must look directly at them and see the goodness that is inherent in all things. From the language we use to the imperative to understand and include, we have a duty to work through opposition and build community.
Bishop Beckwith describes it this way: “We are trained to think, yet the cultural emphasis on thinking has not be applied to our ability to see . . . We are not as well trained in seeing the world’s fullness―pain and joy, compassion and cruelty. We regularly receive glimpses of pain and joy, but they are often presented in such a way as to reinforce our thinking.”
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