Yesterday I talked about a circle of unconditional respect. I love this simple notion, which I owe to my friend Eric Larsen. Here’s how I described it to my students. When you step into the blue circle you agree to acknowledge the basic human dignity of every other person. Since you agree to stay in the circle, you […]
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How About A Little Respect?
Should students respect their teachers? Of course they should. Over at Bouncing Back today I explained why everyone, as a child of God, ought to be treated with dignity and respect. So what if it doesn’t happen? What if others fail to treat you respectfully? As a teacher, I quickly surrendered the notion that my position would […]
Continue readingMore TagCrazy Thing Called Love
Love confuses. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.(Romans 20:20) Love confuses those who only know how to draw lines and fight. They may react, initially, with anger, hate, or resentment, but the bitterness is […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat If People Aren’t Their Ideas?
So how do we stop otherizng? Bad news–we likely won’t. Stop, that is. Otherizing is pretty ingrained in how we deal with the world, and I suspect none of us is going to simply give it up. Good news–we can make progress. We can increase awareness. We can work at perceiving, and at least blurring, […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Problem Of Them
I’ve noticed lately how much of our conversation is about “them.” If you pay attention, our discourse is immersed in a sea of “otherizing.” Over at Bouncing Back today I defined otherizing as the process of discerning and accentuating differences between people so it’s apparent one group is clearly not like us–they’re the “others.” Homeless folks […]
Continue readingMore TagSelma And Courage
I heard some folks discussing the upcoming movie SELMA yesterday. I’m anxious to see the movie. I hope it’ll contribute in a positive way to the current national dialogue. The discussion drifted to the danger faced by those who marched. One person wondered, “Where did Dr. King and his followers find the courage to continue […]
Continue readingMore TagWhile I Wait…
What’s the baby in the manger trying to tell me? I keep looking at the scene surrounding His birth. I’m wondering what it means for me right now, trying to figure out what I’m supposed to learn while I wait. # # # Don’t cling to your life. When you empty yourself, you discover your […]
Continue readingMore TagHope And The Christmas Star
Jiminy Cricket famously advised Pinocchio to wish upon a star. It’s a cute song, but I’m not sure it’s wise to accept life coaching advice from a bug. I don’t believe in wishes any more than I believe in the twenty-seven versions of Santa Claus that recently invaded our house. There’s a star in the Christmas […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Would You Answer A Little Boy’s Question
On December 10, 1986, Elie Wiesel delivered one of the influencal speeches in history. The occasion was his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. Wiesel looked back to himself as a small boy entering the Holocaust and asked, “Can this be true? Who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world remain […]
Continue readingMore TagWho You Are, What You Do
You do what you are. That’s sort of backwards from the usual message, but I think I like it. My friend Jon Swanson writes a great blog called 300 Words A Day. I encourage you to add it to your reading list. Jon has this great way of using everyday stuff to talk about following […]
Continue readingMore TagHappy Anniversary?
Today’s my twenty-seventh anniversary. In case you don’t recall, December 5, 1987 was a crisp, cloudy Saturday in Colorado. I thought I’d put up some outdoor Christmas lights. I almost completed the job before life changed forever, literally in the blink of an eye. I took a ride in an ambulance and reurned home five […]
Continue readingMore TagDo I Have To Serve?
“Does a dream HAVE to serve others?” I’ve heard the question before as I share my definition of a dream: A dream is a God-inspired desire to use your unique gifts and talents to serve others and change the world. “Isn’t it okay to want to do something for myself, like climbing a mountain just […]
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