is disagreement something to be honored or merely something to be shared?


...traditionally disagreement is the consequence of refusing to unite on the one true path
...it is a barrier to truth
...sidetrack to reality


"the unity to which we aspire come in that moment when our disagreements are transcended and we discover that we are all working out of the same principles, toward the same goals"-Rev. Lisa Friedman


i know how to honor disagreement; to understand that not all people will come up with the same conclusions, same principles. i know how to honor and appreciate diversity. to love people of all faiths. however, i don't know how to love and honor all people of my own. i don't know how to honor their obsessions with Truth, conversion, salvation. i don't know how to honor their views of homosexuals, our religious others. i don't know how to share in our disagreements. i need to learn how.

today i miss oman.

more than most days.

i feel as if a part of my heart and soul has been left there.

it's being torn apart by religious conflict.

i feel as if it can't be put back together until the hatred stops.

until we begin loving others as we love our religious siblings.

i wish we could love others as god loves us.

to understand god as god understands us.

to realize that it is not about ourselves, our kind.

it is about others, others.

ode to sam.

I remember July 3, 1990 sitting on the edge of mom's hospital bed holding you for the first time, hoping that one day we'd be friends.

I remember our walks to down Odin to the bus stop talking about fish and our recent adventures and games.

I remember hating that my favorites were always your favorites even when I lied and said my favorite color was pink.

I remember all our fishing trips and even though I would always catch more than you, you still wanted to go with me; and how your would always be willing to take the fish off the hook and promised me the fish didn't actually die even though it'd float when you threw it back into the water.

I remember that sunny September morning when mom and dad sat us down on my bed to tell us that Aaron had gone to be with the Lord and feeling you small hand grab mine; I knew it'd been okay.

I remember those Sunday afternoon hap hours that we spent creating messages by knocking on the walls or sneaking to each others room.

I remember how all our fights ended in laughter and creating constellations out of the knots in the wood as we stood there with our noses on the wall.

I remember our 5 hr. long games of monopoly and how I'd always win. One day you will learn that I don't go broke because I have a stash of $500's that I refill after every game.

And I will always remember you standing at the end of the lane cheering me on as I swam the mile. Whenever I'm discouraged I picture you there reminding that I've done it before and can do it again.

I have done my best to be the best role model that I could for you. From the moment I first met you I knew that you would look like me, I knew that we'd be friends, I knew that you'd be a good person, I knew that you'd do great things; but I never knew that you would be the one I would look up to. I am as proud to be your sister today as I was the first day I met you.

*my addressing speech for sam's retiring address.

faith begins where thought stops.

Fear and Trembling-Soren Kierkegaard

i think testing is how god chooses to teach. i do not think that god tested abraham because he didn't know if he would pass or what the consequences would have been. maybe he wanted to do it so abraham would learn what faith meant or the extent of his faith. kierkegaard says that abraham had faith that god would not ask his son to be taken from him but ALSO had faith that god's will would be done through the sacrifice and that god would keep his promise to him even if it meant taking his son.

god temps us with times of meakness and sorrow-with acedia- so that we learn intimacy and joy and happiness. we have faith that god will bring better days. by knowing how it feels to be depressed we are better able to recognize our times of joy.