Lines In The Sand

It seems that recently racial lines so many thought were beginning to fade in the sand have again become trenches of suspicion, mis-trust, and fear.  In light of this, I share with you a couple of thoughts that apply not only to racial issues but all of our relationships.  They come from a daily email I receive from the Church of the Savior here in Washington, DC., Inward/Outward - seeking the depths.

Yearning and Fear

Each person with his or her history of being accepted or rejected, with his or her past history of inner pain and difficulties in relationships, is different. But in each one there is a yearning for communion and belonging, but at the same time a fear of it. Love is what we most want, yet it is what we fear the most.
Jean Vanier
Source: Community and Growth

Not Effortless

As we ponder the importance of community as a spiritual discipline, it is helpful to remember that the model of community of Acts was not effortless, but rather the unfolding of mutual experience tested in the light of serious challenges and supported in God’s strength. We must develop a way to understand genuine community as the product of conflict and testing. We must discover ways to be authentically present to and respectful of one another while we disagree strenuously. We must learn to discover and speak our own truths, without fear and without harm to others who also hold a piece of the truth in which we all live.
Norvene Vest
Source: "Community as a spiritual discipline" in Benedictine Bridge