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Early in her remarks to the packed room at the recent SAES Leadership Symposium, author, speaker, and poet, Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright shared this verse with the assembled leaders and future leaders from across our association:
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and
is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and
reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day
and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust
community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you
do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other
with dignity and honor. James 3:17-18, The Message
By reminding us to always “look, and look again” (the art of re-specting) at our communities and ourselves through a lens of dignity, keynote speaker Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright encourages us to “do the hard work of getting along with each other and treating each other (and ourselves!) with dignity and honor” by courageously and intentionally recognizing and striving to close the gap that exists between our aspirations and our realities. Thinking about all this in terms of a traditional cost/benefit analysis, I wonder if you think the benefits of achieving a healthy and robust community, living right with God, and enjoying the results might justify the cost – the hard work of getting along with each other and treating each other with dignity and honor? If you are not sure the benefit justifies the cost, I encourage you to consider this verse:
LOOK AGAIN
A new way of being. Of thinking.
At last a lens to dream a little
A new way of seeing.
Look again.
Gather up the courage.
Be vulnerable.
Be hopeful.
Swallow your fear.
It only takes one change to grow in capacity.
Expand your diaphragm of vulnerability and exhale a new thought.
No guilt. No shame. No condemnation.
Look again. I ask.
Look again!
–Beth-Sarah Wright, PhD
LGLO,
Rob
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