Janet Mock on the Power of Words “Words are things,” Dr. Maya Angelou said during her 2011 Master’s Class on the Oprah Winfrey Network. “You must be careful, careful about calling people out of their names, using racial pejoratives and sexual pejoratives and all that ignorance. Don’t do that. Some day we’ll be able to measure […]
Fundraising Counsel from Network for Good
Are you on Network for Good’s mailing list? All the product placement aside, subscribing is worth it for content like their white paper on ten fundraising areas to master this year. 10 Fundraising Mantras for 2013 includes some smart recommendations about testing the most effective ways to approach prospective donors, stepping into donors’ shoes when crafting communications, […]
Story: Which Side?
“A Sufi master was strolling through the streets one day with his students. When they came to the city square, a vicious battle was being fought between government troops and rebel forces. Horrified by the bloodshed, the students implored, ‘Quick, Master, which side should we help?’ ‘Both,’ the Master replied. The students were confused. ‘Both?’ […]
When the Pilgrims Met the Borg (Stueart)
My friend Jerome Stueart recently shared his 2010 story “When the Pilgrims Met the Borg: Faith, Perfection, and the Assimilated Pilgrim.” It’s a fantastic mash-up of colonial America and the Star Trek universe, written in the voice and style of Plymouth colony’s William Bradford. My faith, it scares me. Its efficient, courageous march across the […]
The Cloud of Unknowing
Thanks to the Peck quote about humility, I’ve been reading a little from the 14th Century contemplative text, The Cloud of Unknowing [TCU]. Perhaps appropriately for a work written from the perspective of apophatic theology (the via negativa), the name of TCU’s author isn’t known today. Some gems: Go after experience rather than knowledge. On account of pride, […]
M. Scott Peck on Humility
The ‘soft’ individualism of community leads to humility. Begin to appreciate each others’ gifts, and you begin to appreciate your own limitations. Witness others share their brokenness, and you will become able to accept your own inadequacy and imperfection. Be fully aware of human variety, and you will recognize the interdependence of humanity. — M. Scott Peck, The […]