Now if you are similar to me, and I would bet you are, you enjoy discussing issues with like-minded people and don’t care so much for discussing them with people who think much differently than you. Mellody Hobson in today’s TED Talk explains why this is not the way to resolve issues. The way—well listen to Mellody’s suggestion. I think she has something to offer us as people committed to building our communities.
I believe the two main tasks in developing community, are: one, to identify our commonality; and secondly to embrace our diversity. This is the tension between togetherness and separateness. We all win when we accept who we are individually, our separateness; and when we identify who we are collectively, our togetherness. Those two activities make us partners.
Besides talking about how to resolve issues, Mellody says we must learn to be “comfortable being uncomfortable,” suggesting that we live in a world that will challenge our fundamental beliefs often exposed as prejudice. I am reminded of my friend and philosopher, Kermit the Frog who sings: “It’s not easy being green!”
Finally, Mellody suggests that “Awareness” is the first step to solving a problem. All this kind of reminds me of an early post on OATS. What do you think?
We are a community of laymen and laywomen who, with vowed Passionists, seek to share in the charism of St. Paul of the Cross through prayer, ongoing spiritual formation, and proclamation of the message of Christ Crucified.
