Inspiration
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Annual day of reflection for me (as if I don't continually reflect - ha!). It turned out to be a really busy but fairly decent day, I suppose. I've been struggling at work a bit, and I've been seeking clarity for myself about what is next for me. I'm getting close to figuring it out. Funny how I had more figured out at the age of 22 than I do at the age of 26 plus a dozen (!) years, or so I thought... Priorities definitely shift with age and life circumstances, and the almighty dollar stops driving decisions after a certain point. I have a feeling this will be an exciting year for me. Last year depleted my energy and I'm ready to re-emerge ensuring I take care of myself and my family to the best of my ability (certainly acknowledging that will never be perfect, but great would be awesome!). I'm grateful for opportunities to grow and evolve. God knows I've learned a lot and have many lessons to go!
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Monday, May 1, 2017
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Monday, February 15, 2016
Life has been busy lately! No complaints, just constant priority-shifting... One thing I am grateful for, though, is that I have continued reading. I tackle this mainly while working out on the elliptical or walking on the treadmill but some reading (and exercise, for that matter) is better than none! :-)
My latest reading is from Chris Stedman's "Fatheist - How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." It was truly inspiring to me. I am nearly compelled to write a letter to Mr. Stedman to thank him for his work, both in contributing to humanism and telling the world about it. I applaud him for sharing his story!
Several aspects of Chris' story appeal to me, but two passages in particular resonate with me and I will share here:
Chris later goes on to cite survey statistics regarding limited understanding of certain sects of life. His basic message is that although Americans admittedly have limited understanding of a variety of religious beliefs and gay lifestyles, in general they think of differences in a negative light. Chris drives home the point that by engaging everyone (knowledgeable or not), stereotypes will be deconstructed which will enhance protection and respect from others regardless of their backgrounds.
Though my spirituality and belief system is different from Mr. Stedman's, I agree with his rationale and goals for trying to make the world a better place harmoniously. I can't understand why people continue to fight to try to ensure that their beliefs are understood as "right" and, perhaps, the only way to believe. Maybe those folks are just trying to be heard and trying to open the door for others to share in their beliefs. For that, I respect them but do appreciate when those same people are open to understanding that my faith differs from theirs and that it deserves just as much respect.
At the end of the day (or beginning for me in today's case), I want to work for peace. Peace for all. And understanding. We've all had highs and lows, ebbs and flows, in life and all deserve to be respected equally. If we work together, this can be reality and in the meantime we can make the world a better place by serving all others. THAT is true inspiration!
My latest reading is from Chris Stedman's "Fatheist - How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." It was truly inspiring to me. I am nearly compelled to write a letter to Mr. Stedman to thank him for his work, both in contributing to humanism and telling the world about it. I applaud him for sharing his story!
Several aspects of Chris' story appeal to me, but two passages in particular resonate with me and I will share here:
After reading a prayer to a patient, Marvin, who could not
speak with whom he worked …
“I realized that though I couldn’t decipher why the prayer
was so important to him, it was. It touched him in a profound way. And because
I shared in this significant element of his life, our relationship was more
honest and real. I could’ve found another staff member to do it, or I could’ve
refused; it was well within my rights to say, “I’d rather not, Marvin.” But I
realized that a relationship that didn’t account for this important piece of
Marvin’s life was an incomplete one. Though I couldn’t fully comprehend the
import of the prayer for him, sharing in it helped me understand him a bit
more. Just as we had a communication barrier, this prayer was another
difference between us. But like our different means of communicating, learning
about our differences in this area brought us closer together.”
“…it sounds like exactly what our world needs – people of
all different stripes and convictions coming together to deal with things that
matter, announcing our differences without fear, enthusiastically embracing our
commonalities, and intentionally seeking out points of mutuality and
understanding in the face of vastly different metaphysical commitments. The
environment that IFYC (InterFaith Youth Core) worked to create has profoundly
impacted my vision for a society in which people engage across lines of
religious and nonreligious identity to improve the world through service…”
Chris later goes on to cite survey statistics regarding limited understanding of certain sects of life. His basic message is that although Americans admittedly have limited understanding of a variety of religious beliefs and gay lifestyles, in general they think of differences in a negative light. Chris drives home the point that by engaging everyone (knowledgeable or not), stereotypes will be deconstructed which will enhance protection and respect from others regardless of their backgrounds.
Though my spirituality and belief system is different from Mr. Stedman's, I agree with his rationale and goals for trying to make the world a better place harmoniously. I can't understand why people continue to fight to try to ensure that their beliefs are understood as "right" and, perhaps, the only way to believe. Maybe those folks are just trying to be heard and trying to open the door for others to share in their beliefs. For that, I respect them but do appreciate when those same people are open to understanding that my faith differs from theirs and that it deserves just as much respect.
At the end of the day (or beginning for me in today's case), I want to work for peace. Peace for all. And understanding. We've all had highs and lows, ebbs and flows, in life and all deserve to be respected equally. If we work together, this can be reality and in the meantime we can make the world a better place by serving all others. THAT is true inspiration!
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