Differences Unite

I've heard this phrase twice this week from two different people:  differences unite.  Hmmm... sounds rather pollyanna-ish, especially after enduring a couple months of other-bashing election rhetoric. But wouldn't it be great if it were true?

So under what circumstances can differences unite?  When there's a purpose or core value bigger than the differences, for one.  I've heard a few government leaders this week, republican and democratic alike, say they are ready to set aside differences so that we can move this country forward.  Bravo.

We can also find unity when we set aside the need to win, be right, or place blame - when we focus on finding common ground, such as a social justice issue, or a core theological idea on which all parties can agree.  It's from this uniting common ground that we move forward.

We can unite when we realize that differences are really good - that we all bring something important to the table; that when carefully navigated, the end result can be better than what was originally imagined.  It takes patience and strong leadership, but it's possible.  And possibilities unite people too...


P.S:  The Greek have a saying - "why should like know like?"  Anaxagora said, "What is not different is to the other who is no different a matter of indifference."  and "We come to know the cold by the hot, the sweet by the sour, what is light through what is dark."  Maybe this is, at the core, why differences unite.

A Distinction: Purpose vs. Vision

Here's a distinction to consider:
Purpose answers the question: Why do we exist?
Vision answers the question: Where are we going?

Has your organization answered both questions?  

One of my favorite quotes - a Japanese proverb - is "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."  But preceding vision AND action is purpose.

Lines in the Sand

Uncle Dick, a retired theologian in my Lutheran congregation once said, "if you draw a line in the sand, you can be sure Jesus is on the other side of it."  

There are a lot of sand lines right now, and two are breaking my heart. 

Close to home, we are approaching the day on which we vote on the marriage amendment.  The state is drawing lines in the sand about who has the right to marry whom.  How did we get here? Haven't we learned?  This is a civil rights issue, like equality for all races, like women's rights, like slavery. This is a self-determination issue - allowing people to choose their own path in life.  Why should the state get to decide who or whether a person marries - for generations to come?  And if you're one to bring the Bible into the discussion, well then now we're talking about the separation of church and state and isn't that just one more reason to not have the state decide?  Truly, we don't even have to get to discussions of theology - government just shouldn't have its fingers in this one.  

I heard an interview with Chris Kluwe, Minnesota Vikings punter, standing up on this issue. Wow! Bravo!  And I THINK Senator Amy Klobuchar is for the ability for all people to choose who they can marry, but I haven't heard her, a leader with strong influence, take a strong stand on the issue.  Leaders, stand up! It's your job!

A little farther away but even more heart breaking is the world-wide unrest because of a video that right-wing Christians created exclaiming their distain for Muslims.  These Christians drew a rather bold line in the sand.  Were they being the hands and feet of Jesus in their actions? NO.  Jesus is grace and love for ALL people. Jesus walked this earth with ALL people.  Jesus loves ALL people. Christians are called to act as Jesus acts.  To anyone who's been offended by the actions of a so-called Christian, in this incident or another, I'm sorry. My heart breaks for you, and for Christians who believe those acts are sin.

No more lines in the sand.  I'm quite sure Jesus' heart is broken every time one is drawn.

What's Unacceptable?

What's unacceptable to you in this world? What breaks your heart? What makes you angry?  

When I'm working with leadership teams on visioning, these are questions I ask.  Try this with your team.  Not only will you begin to understand where the hearts and minds are of your team, but also you'll bring the team closer together - especially when a common theme emerges and you can begin to rally around a cause, no matter what that looks like.

Broken hearts and holy anger are fuel that ignite passion in the soul.  If something breaks a collective team's heart, or makes the collective angry, it becomes impossible to sit still, and the seemingly impossible roadblocks become molehills instead of mountains.  

The poet Jean de La Fontaine said, "Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish."  

May the collective in which you're a part be so impassioned that the fire in your soul ignites an unstoppable movement of change for the better.

Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

I'm a Myers Briggs type J, which stands for "judging" - not to be confused with "judgment" or "judgmental" (though it wouldn't be the first time I've been called that!) - this "J" preference type is about closure, order, structure - making a judgment, decision, and then moving forward.  My preference for this seems pretty strong.  I need a plan, I make decisions and don't second guess them. I make lists, as my young friend Annika has come to know, and at times has tried to emulate. My "preference clarity index" for this "J" preference is strong (that's a nice way of saying my heels are pretty well dug in on this topic!). Life often affords us the opportunity to learn new things, and I'm finding myself in the middle of one of those times.  I'm being given the "opportunity" to take life one day at a time, to not have the answers to questions that won't let me rest, to not be able to plan a day or week at a time.  It's a challenge with which I'm clearly not comfortable. The opposite of the Myers Briggs "J" is "P" - which stands for "perception." A "P" is the more "go with the flow" type of person.  One who is comfortable with spontaneity, waiting til the last minute, being flexible and adaptable, not making decisions. A person who doesn't need all the answers and doesn't need to know what's going to happen later, or tomorrow, or next week. Living into this "P" type is like living in a brand new culture. I've seen it from a distance, but it's foreign and I don't quite fit in.  I've grown to admire those for whom "P" is innate. I admire their ability to be flexible and easy going - it feels stress free from my typical vantage point.  I've tried to be grateful for the opportunity to learn something new, but who am I kidding - this isn't like cracking open a book on a subject never before considered.  This is challenging the core of who I am. In the end, I don't think I'll ever be able to claim being a "P."  But I can be grateful for the opportunity to experience it, so that I'll know it when I see it in others, and hold them in admiration, understand them better, and continue to learn from them.  And I hope I'm just a little bit better for the effort.