I want to set the record straight. I am proud to be an American.
I didn't used to be though.. and I'd like to explain a little bit as to why...
I'm not a fan of the mentality that we are the 'greatest nation on earth'... I simply cannot get behind that notion. I don't sense a feeling of superiority... or greatness over other nations... And honestly this is why I used to be more anti-America. It was in sheer response to the overwhelming sense of superpatriotism I felt about we have about ourselves.
Here's my hang up though. I'm proud to be an American as long as it doesn't interfere with my identity as a WORLD CITIZEN. As a child of God. Newsflash America... God doesn't care more about us than he does anyone else. For some of you that's old news. For some... its a newsflash... or heresy.. however you take it.
I was being told a story the other day about how a church was doing some exercise with the American flag.. and afterward the Pastor just dropped the flag on the ground. Clearly a sign of disrespect considering the emphasis we have put on it as a symbol over the years. And there was a sort of audible gasp amongst the crowd. In particular, there was a man in front of my friends who they surmised had served in some branch of the military during a part of his life. And there was a clear and overt anger permeating through the congregation.
Sure. That's fine. Disrespect is disrespect.
However, when people get more upset about symbolism than actual atrocities in the world... I'm moved to anger myself. We shouldn't be allowed to be more upset about our flag touching the ground than genocide overseas. Or sex slave trade. Or exploitation of workers in the name of corporate greed.
If we don't get our priorities in check.. we're going to continue getting mad about the wrong things... and the things that really really matter... won't ever change.
Because it's easy to get upset about something that the only thing we can do is complain about. It's much harder to get upset about something that we might actually have to stop and help with.
Come on America, I'd be much prouder to be a part of you if you were less concerned with your status... and more concerned with sustainable world welfare.
(Not every American is like this. I'm just pointing out a continued shortcoming in our quest toward greatness)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Going up.
Spent the last few days in Atlanta. You forget how big Chicago is until you leave it for another "big" US city. A couple things happened... I made some new friends (which is super easy btw...) and learned a lot. I was down there for the National Youth Workers Conference. Which makes my job seem a lot more official than it seems at times. I mean honestly... I teach and play with middle and high school students all week.
However, I have come back with greater wisdom... to follow as points.
1. If I'm going to be effective teaching, I have to create a need first for the material.
2. I must work on creating a 'safer' place for students to come be themselves. Which includes monitoring behavior and/or statements from other students that may be destructive.
3. I must attack lessons sensually. That was the actual word used. But used to mean that students are sensory. And need to touch something, hear something, see something, perhaps smell something for it to better sink in.
4. Even though online communities are growing, there is still a need to feel connected in a way that the web can never full fill. (Someone argued that youth ministry was probably turning more towards online communities that would eventually take the place of church gatherings and congregating together in one location)... I politely disagreed.
5. I need to stop towing the line between how much my students like me... and challenging them to be better. I've been compromising my normal teaching style in order for the students to like me more. And I have to stop if I'm ever going to demand betterment and growth from them.
6. I need to do a better job at visioning youth. Meaning I need to be more observant to notice something in each of them that they don't yet notice about themselves. A strength and a calling perhaps. I also need to hone in on their weaknesses so I know where to help.
7. Stop serving pizza.
So that's what I learned. Now for a list of specific things I'm going to start doing...
a. Mandatory Cell-phone basket. No more texting during gatherings
b. Advice cookie moment of wisdom at the end of every lesson.
c. Not be ashamed to ask for volunteer help.
d. Calendar farther in advance.
e. Get the sunday school class active before each lesson.
f. Start doing video announcements on Facebook.
And other things will come with time. However, I'm going to try not to feel pressured to implement all of this at once. Rather take my time and introduce changes as needed. I need to give myself time to develop relationships with my students before I expect them to get on board with me. So that looks a lot less like MORE programming, and a lot more like MORE conversation and authenticity.
Peace out, A-town down.
However, I have come back with greater wisdom... to follow as points.
1. If I'm going to be effective teaching, I have to create a need first for the material.
2. I must work on creating a 'safer' place for students to come be themselves. Which includes monitoring behavior and/or statements from other students that may be destructive.
3. I must attack lessons sensually. That was the actual word used. But used to mean that students are sensory. And need to touch something, hear something, see something, perhaps smell something for it to better sink in.
4. Even though online communities are growing, there is still a need to feel connected in a way that the web can never full fill. (Someone argued that youth ministry was probably turning more towards online communities that would eventually take the place of church gatherings and congregating together in one location)... I politely disagreed.
5. I need to stop towing the line between how much my students like me... and challenging them to be better. I've been compromising my normal teaching style in order for the students to like me more. And I have to stop if I'm ever going to demand betterment and growth from them.
6. I need to do a better job at visioning youth. Meaning I need to be more observant to notice something in each of them that they don't yet notice about themselves. A strength and a calling perhaps. I also need to hone in on their weaknesses so I know where to help.
7. Stop serving pizza.
So that's what I learned. Now for a list of specific things I'm going to start doing...
a. Mandatory Cell-phone basket. No more texting during gatherings
b. Advice cookie moment of wisdom at the end of every lesson.
c. Not be ashamed to ask for volunteer help.
d. Calendar farther in advance.
e. Get the sunday school class active before each lesson.
f. Start doing video announcements on Facebook.
And other things will come with time. However, I'm going to try not to feel pressured to implement all of this at once. Rather take my time and introduce changes as needed. I need to give myself time to develop relationships with my students before I expect them to get on board with me. So that looks a lot less like MORE programming, and a lot more like MORE conversation and authenticity.
Peace out, A-town down.
Monday, November 7, 2011
This blog got away from me
Whom do you honor? It's a question decorating the board at Caribou here in Lville.
Hmm. Do we even live in a culture of honor? Can you define honor? Can you define what it means to you?
To me... before I look up its official definition... (and trust me on this.. no peeking I swear!) I would have to lift up the following thoughts:
To hold in high esteem.
To appreciate.
To feel blessed to be in the presence of.
To treat with respect.
You know who I hear have a pretty good culture of honor? The Japanese... Perhaps I'll go learn a lesson and report back my findings.
.......
Here's what I have found so far... people like me (sociologists) have contrasted cultures of honor with cultures of law. Interesting.
Cultures of law and cultures of honor are different. Which are we?
We most definitely live in a culture of law. There is a system set up in which society can enact and enforce laws on people. Resulting in punishment for breaking those laws. The law creates the fear. Societies of honor occur more among nomadic tribes (this is kind of being flushing out) in which people carry their valuables with them - making them vulnerable to theft. In societies like this... people themselves must provoke the fear disproportionate revenge in order to more greatly ensure the safety of their possessions.
Either way... we have a theme here.
Societies live in fear of punishment. It's so assumed that the only way to control people is by the use of fear. Is this the stage of moral development we're still lingering in...
Kohlberg is rolling over in his grave.
Would we really fall apart if the strong arm of the law wasn't breathing down our necks? And how sad if that's true.
Will humanity ever evolve out of our pre-conventional habituation?
hmm.
Hmm. Do we even live in a culture of honor? Can you define honor? Can you define what it means to you?
To me... before I look up its official definition... (and trust me on this.. no peeking I swear!) I would have to lift up the following thoughts:
To hold in high esteem.
To appreciate.
To feel blessed to be in the presence of.
To treat with respect.
You know who I hear have a pretty good culture of honor? The Japanese... Perhaps I'll go learn a lesson and report back my findings.
.......
Here's what I have found so far... people like me (sociologists) have contrasted cultures of honor with cultures of law. Interesting.
Cultures of law and cultures of honor are different. Which are we?
We most definitely live in a culture of law. There is a system set up in which society can enact and enforce laws on people. Resulting in punishment for breaking those laws. The law creates the fear. Societies of honor occur more among nomadic tribes (this is kind of being flushing out) in which people carry their valuables with them - making them vulnerable to theft. In societies like this... people themselves must provoke the fear disproportionate revenge in order to more greatly ensure the safety of their possessions.
Either way... we have a theme here.
Societies live in fear of punishment. It's so assumed that the only way to control people is by the use of fear. Is this the stage of moral development we're still lingering in...
Kohlberg is rolling over in his grave.
Would we really fall apart if the strong arm of the law wasn't breathing down our necks? And how sad if that's true.
Will humanity ever evolve out of our pre-conventional habituation?
hmm.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Milwaukee
I can't help but believe that people don't want to be angry. That no single person in their right mind walks around thinking about how their easy-going quota has surely been met for day... And hoping and waiting for when their next anger episode will all but consume them.
Like most things I say, perhaps this is not a great shock to anyone. But the big thing about it is... is that it has everything to do with how we respond to anger.
And it leads us to ask then... what does anger stem from? Why is it so prevalent and what can we do to eradicate it.
To some anger is a simple feeling centered around not getting what they want. Which leads me to wonder, well what do they think is fair? Is what they wanted fair? But that leads me to ask... well whose life is fair that they look at feel the need to expect this fairness? And then... who are they angry at? The world? Themselves? The withholder of their fairness?
Because we tend to all too often discount anger and simplify it. And when we simplify it... we assume the answer and solution to it must be easy. And when we assume that... we in turn get frustrated and angry at angry people for being so angry because it's "of course" so easy to turn it around.
But remember, nobody wants to be angry. It's a response to something. A defense for something. To protect. Because it cannot feel all that good to be so angry.
Like most things I say, perhaps this is not a great shock to anyone. But the big thing about it is... is that it has everything to do with how we respond to anger.
And it leads us to ask then... what does anger stem from? Why is it so prevalent and what can we do to eradicate it.
To some anger is a simple feeling centered around not getting what they want. Which leads me to wonder, well what do they think is fair? Is what they wanted fair? But that leads me to ask... well whose life is fair that they look at feel the need to expect this fairness? And then... who are they angry at? The world? Themselves? The withholder of their fairness?
Because we tend to all too often discount anger and simplify it. And when we simplify it... we assume the answer and solution to it must be easy. And when we assume that... we in turn get frustrated and angry at angry people for being so angry because it's "of course" so easy to turn it around.
But remember, nobody wants to be angry. It's a response to something. A defense for something. To protect. Because it cannot feel all that good to be so angry.
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