Thanks, Maeve. I only saw your reply today. It's fortuitous-- I needed to write the following. (I hope other strokers will continue to write their experiences too-- not just "my" thread).
That hologram image is not original with me, and I have used it long before Strokebrain. It IS of interest FOR strokebrainn, though, isn't it? I hadn't seen that; I'll pass it along when I have a chance.
It is related to what I believe and experience as our complete freedom, as human beans, to choose our viewpoint-- to choose from what angle to view any idea, fact, situation, etc.-- and to choose, therefore, more creatively and flexibly, how to address the "whatever." (See www.rc.org)
Here is an integrative example, from a contribution I made recently to a "debate" on which way to best educate new clergy-- one "side" favored semimary education only, and the other featured local education only. Both sides had very strong and important points.
Because I love both of the sides and the people espousing them, and because of other thoughts I had recently been having, I spoke up with a "teaching moment." An image came to mind of a Native woman, beading a necklace. I puased before I launched into the meat of it to think how this group could be led to see what I was seeing.
"So often," I relaxedly began, "in our human thinking we assume that different paradigms are opposing paradigms. Yet the two I just heard fit together quite well. Let me describe what I am seeing in my mind as I've listened to the conversation. (the pause)
"We all agree, here, on the curriculum, don't we? We all know what it takes to be prepared for ministry. OK--
"Assume that the education's content-- the curriculum-- is linear. Defined... long... narrow. I'm seeing it as a string, a cord. We can refine our ideas about the texture of the cord, but a cord is a cord. The curriculum is the currioculum is the curriculum. We test for it in the General Ordination Examination, nationally, and we all know about the canonical areas it covers.
"OK, now think of the formative experiences where people GET the curriculum. Think of a few of the ones you yourselves have experienced. They may have been year-long events, they may have been weekend workshops, they may have been single meetings rich in significance and feeling. [making a round shape with my arms as they think absorbedly and watch me....] Those are not linear-- but rounnnnd, something you can..... roll around in your mouth.... and savor... for a long time....
"Those are the beads to string onto the cord.
"You get your [anti-racism] bead and string it. You get your anti-sexual-abuse bead, your New Testament bead, and so forth. [people rushing ahead of my words now in their facial expressions-- they GET IT].
"Of course each bead may be a different color, size and shape.... at a certain point you knot the cord and there you have the training toward [a particular ministry license we've been discussing].
"Imagine all the people in the congregations, stringing their beads. Putting them together. Multi-strand necklaces that are very strong, and very beautiful.