Thursday, January 13, 2011

expanded imagination

-Watching President Obama's speech at the memorial service for the victims of the tragic shooting in Arizona. It was exactly what needed to be said. Some of the most poignant parts for me were when he said:

"At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.
...As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together."

-Going on my daily bike ride, all bundled up, and letting the brisk air clarify my thoughts and fill my soul. My Dad's conversation today made it even more enjoyable.

-Commenting on facebook about a church sign I passed today that I was less than enthralled with ("Without the Bread of Life you're toast!") and receiving in response several thoughtful (and one comical) comments on the sign, what would have been more appropriate to say and the theology behind it. A great international conversation was sparked by that silly sign!

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