I've Looked at Both Sides

In today's sermon, the rector posed the question "What is the Kingdom of God." He posed this question because when Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, as He did in today's Gospel reading, he spoke in parables. Rather than expound on the parable of the mustard seed, the rector left us with the, "What does that mean?" question that the disciples were often left with. I suppose this leaves the parables as objets d'art, subject to individual interpretation. After listening to interpretations, people tend to take sides. This leads to conflict.

I thought, "What does lack of interpretation lead to?"

The rector then used the unfortunate example of the murder of the abortionist, Dr. Tiller, to make the point of the problems with "belief systems." Belief systems are considered a problem by James P. Carse the author of "The Religious Case Against Belief" which is being studied by the adult Sunday school class, so it is no surprise that some of his ideas might work their way into the Sunday sermon. It should also come as no surprise when the rector referred to the "good Dr. Tiller" during the course of the sermon, thus revealing a certain underlying belief system that the rector himself has fallen for.

We were then given a homework assignment which is to try to see where those with whom we disagree are coming from. IMO, this type of exercise is usually inflicted upon those on "the right" by those on "the left" in order to further the "leftward drift" of whatever particular subject is up for "discussion."

I see where you are coming from, and I ain't going to meet you there.

(Joni Mitchell 1970)

"Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
Its Love's illusions I recall
I really don't know Love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
Its life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all"

Appreciative Inquiry

Beware the "Listening Process," as proposed in a resolution to the West Virginia Diocesan Convention (resolution 2)

“A facilitated listening process using tools such as Appreciative Inquiry would afford us, as a diocese, an opportunity to listen to one another in a meaningful way, learn from one another and hold one another in respect and with love as brothers and sisters in Christ even as we explore our differing beliefs which we hold across a continuum concerning..."

(you know what)

And what is Appreciative Inquiry? Here is a description from AI commons,

“Appreciative Inquiry is about the coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives ‘life’ to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. In AI the arduous task of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design. AI seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of what people talk about as past and present capacities: achievements, assets, unexplored potentials, innovations, strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities, benchmarks, high point moments, lived values, traditions, strategic competencies, stories, expressions of wisdom, insights into the deeper corporate spirit or soul-- and visions of valued and possible futures. Taking all of these together as a gestalt, AI deliberately, in everything it does, seeks to work from accounts of this “positive change core”—and it assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized.”

A.I. = Absent Intelligence

Linking A.I. to a change agenda might give you exactly the change you hope for.

If you have an agenda, you are not really listening.

And I always thought inquiring minds would appreciate the opportunity for a little "negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis."