Insidious Perfectionism
In Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun’s article, “White Supremacy Culture” in Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, they outline several characteristics of white supremacy culture. I’ve written about one of them, individualism (as opposed to individuality, a law of nature), in my Reflections newsletter. Today, I’m going to talk about that insidious character, […]
We Need Change, not Shame
The following is a collection of thoughts that are in response to an email sent out by Mark Silver, the founder of the Heart of Business, and one of my teachers. The headline was, “The Healthy Role of Shame in Business (and in Life).” If you go to the Heart of Business website, you can […]
Black Lives Matter: Choose Justice
Lovely words, from Emily Dickinson, words I do not believe right now, today, here, in these United States: “Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all – And sweetest – in the Gale – is […]
The Blessings of Limits
Limits. Speed limits. Weight limits. Human limits. I was talking with a dear friend about the concept of limiting beliefs yesterday. For her, the concept of self-care is not about limits; what I call limits are just needs. For her, considering or dwelling on limits is dangerous, as she believes it can keep one from […]
Where is Faith?
Well, I wrote Reflections about love. I wrote yesterday about hope. I’ve painted myself into a religious corner here, one that I welcome; I need to write about faith. What does faith mean to you? I grew up with the traditional Roman Catholic definition of faith: Intellectual assent, and belief in things unseen. Particularly intellectual […]
Where There’s Despair, Hope
This week in Reflections, I wrote about love. About the difficult demands of u/Universalism. I wrote about how I cannot in good conscience, given my theology, write off everyone who voted for Trump as less than human. I can’t write off any of them as “other.” Not even the ones who would or do wish […]
Looking Racist Fear in the Face
One of the things I read recently was about the importance for white people not only to speak about racism, but to speak about our own racism. To acknowledge what we carry, where it came from, how it has manifested in our lives and in the lives of others. I want to write about this […]
The Love of Valentine’s Day
Such an interesting holiday we celebrate this week. A holiday ostensibly about love, and yet one that emphasizes loneliness and bitterness for so many, financial pressure for others, and a weight of obligation for lots more. In Unitarian Universalism, many say that we are “standing on the side of love.” There is a whole related […]
The Close and Holy Darkness
In the close and holy darkness, Our eyes see only stars, only moon, only silhouette of black trees against the brilliant snow. In the close and holy darkness, Our longing draws near. In the close and holy darkness, Our ears hear strangely under the clouds, through fog, over snow. In the close and holy darkness, Our […]
Legacy and Choice: Presence, Attention, Intention
I once heard karma, that is, action, described as “living in the world we have helped to create.” Concepts like that always lead me to thinking about who’s created the world in which I live. Certainly, I’ve participated in the creation of this world, and I am responsible for the meaning in my life. I […]