Oh, what a wonderful piece! I need to be reminded of this so much. We can't dehumanize others even when others dehumanize. As my mom always said, Take the high road. Maybe it should be called the low road since its hard sometimes to do.
I love this quote of yours. "Jesus sat at many more tables than he overturned. " I was able to be at a commumity dinner last night sitting at table with lots of different opinions. It was my Holy table.
I enjoyed your writing on kebabs, meals and love. It was so clear and heartfelt. Thank you. As an older reader, I believe it is the struggle that counts, not the long sought unified “philosopher’s stone” of faith. I hear you struggling with the challenges in your life, and think, “yes.” Keep struggling. Life is hard, but good companions and dogs ease the journey. You are headed in the right (love) direction.
Congratulations Jeff. Thank you for your introduction to the Brazilian writer Paulo Friere. Our daughter-in-law is Brazilian. I forwarded your writing to her and to Josh as well. I’ll be interested to know if she is familiar with him. “…anything that is not ‘his’ truth (is) a lie.” Too true. Blessings and peace.
I was really challenged by Freire's insistence that the teacher cannot try to force students to the "right" conclusions and that to do so is pure arrogance. But meditating on that truth has definitely led me to more tolerance. I am not the keeper of correctness and it is not my job to make people agree with me.
Thank you for sharing all of this! I will be pondering the relationship between tolerance and hope.
I hope you know about my brother's (Jim Wallis) visit to Grand Rapids on Sunday night, April 7th at 7pm at Sherman Street Church. It is his book tour for his newest book, "The False White Gospel
Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy." Joe Jones, pastor of Brown Hutcherson Ministries and former head of the Grand Rapids Urban League, and Kristin Du Mez, Calvin prof and author of "Jesus and John Wayne," will be in conversation with him.
I know I'm late on this, but I love your highlighting of Frerie so I had to comment.
I will say again what many have said before me, the fact that one can become a degree holding educator in the West without ever reading a word of Freire or knowing who he was, brings me deep sadness. What's funny is that I'm currently re-reading "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" and my copy has more things underlined than not.
New favorite line from him this read through: Speaking of the oppressed and the internal struggle to move from object (acted upon) to subject (the one who acts) due to what he labels as fear of freedom he says "They discover that without freedom they cannot exist authentically. Yet, although they desire authentic existence, they fear it." I often vasilate between identifying myself in the origins of Freire's oppressor and as oppressed. Here, I identify all to well with fear of freedom. What would actually happen if I lived into my full humanity of radical love and authentic dialogue?
convicting - he makes up his own words. There is no word "convicting." Does he mean like a prison convict? You may be oppressed, but please write better.
Oh, what a wonderful piece! I need to be reminded of this so much. We can't dehumanize others even when others dehumanize. As my mom always said, Take the high road. Maybe it should be called the low road since its hard sometimes to do.
I love this quote of yours. "Jesus sat at many more tables than he overturned. " I was able to be at a commumity dinner last night sitting at table with lots of different opinions. It was my Holy table.
I enjoyed your writing on kebabs, meals and love. It was so clear and heartfelt. Thank you. As an older reader, I believe it is the struggle that counts, not the long sought unified “philosopher’s stone” of faith. I hear you struggling with the challenges in your life, and think, “yes.” Keep struggling. Life is hard, but good companions and dogs ease the journey. You are headed in the right (love) direction.
Blessings on your ordination my friend 🧡
Prayers for you dear man. Many of us will be holding you in our hearts this week as you look forward to your ordination. Many blessings!
Congratulations Jeff. Thank you for your introduction to the Brazilian writer Paulo Friere. Our daughter-in-law is Brazilian. I forwarded your writing to her and to Josh as well. I’ll be interested to know if she is familiar with him. “…anything that is not ‘his’ truth (is) a lie.” Too true. Blessings and peace.
I studied Pedagogy of the Oppressed when I was in Seminary 47 years ago.
I was really challenged by Freire's insistence that the teacher cannot try to force students to the "right" conclusions and that to do so is pure arrogance. But meditating on that truth has definitely led me to more tolerance. I am not the keeper of correctness and it is not my job to make people agree with me.
Thank you for sharing all of this! I will be pondering the relationship between tolerance and hope.
I hope you know about my brother's (Jim Wallis) visit to Grand Rapids on Sunday night, April 7th at 7pm at Sherman Street Church. It is his book tour for his newest book, "The False White Gospel
Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy." Joe Jones, pastor of Brown Hutcherson Ministries and former head of the Grand Rapids Urban League, and Kristin Du Mez, Calvin prof and author of "Jesus and John Wayne," will be in conversation with him.
I know I'm late on this, but I love your highlighting of Frerie so I had to comment.
I will say again what many have said before me, the fact that one can become a degree holding educator in the West without ever reading a word of Freire or knowing who he was, brings me deep sadness. What's funny is that I'm currently re-reading "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" and my copy has more things underlined than not.
New favorite line from him this read through: Speaking of the oppressed and the internal struggle to move from object (acted upon) to subject (the one who acts) due to what he labels as fear of freedom he says "They discover that without freedom they cannot exist authentically. Yet, although they desire authentic existence, they fear it." I often vasilate between identifying myself in the origins of Freire's oppressor and as oppressed. Here, I identify all to well with fear of freedom. What would actually happen if I lived into my full humanity of radical love and authentic dialogue?
convicting - he makes up his own words. There is no word "convicting." Does he mean like a prison convict? You may be oppressed, but please write better.