Monday, July 23, 2007
This week at uuworld.org: Love the contradictions.
Rob Hardies writes that our complex world needs people who can love it in all its contradictions:
We need a spirituality that moves us beyond fight and flight, one that sees complexity not as an enemy but as a friend. We need a spirituality that views paradox as a creative opportunity and contradiction as a stimulant. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." But what kind of spirituality allows our souls to embrace contradiction and complexity? The kind that lets me do what the school psychiatrist charged me to do: love the tensions in my life.
His essay is excerpted from a new collection of essays, The Seven Principles in Word and Worship; Rob writes about the third principle: "acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations."
In the news, Michelle Bates Deakin profiles Leon Spencer, honored at the General Assembly with the UUA's Distinguished Service Award. And Sonja Cohen tracks Unitarian Universalists in the media for uuworld.org's news blog.
P.S. Did you know that you can sign up a weekly email newsletter from uuworld.org?
Copyright © 2007 by Philocrites | Posted 23 July 2007 at 6:50 AM
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Commentary by Chris Walton on Unitarian Universalism, liberal Christianity, American religion, and liberal culture. Contact me.
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2 comments:
joe perez:
August 5, 2007 06:18 AM | Permalink for this comment
Love the tensions? How about surpassing or reconciling the tensions? Sounds like a limited view to me.
Pat McLaughlin:
August 5, 2007 10:38 PM | Permalink for this comment
joe, the point is not that tensions can't be reconciled. But the idea that it's fast and easy, if we all just think right is, I believe, fantasy. Tensions arise, new and fresh, twisty and complex and challenging. And while we live and grapple with them--in the process, we hope, of reconciling them--we need to be able to appreciate the work and to love the challenge and opportunity that they bring.
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