Susan E. Antlitz, Ph.D.
The parts of our identities that make us whole cannot be separated from one another, for together they form the tissues and sinews of how we process experience and make meaning. Just as the nerves and ligaments, though identifiable as distinct units, must work together in order for a living being to function, so too must thought, spirit, understanding, emotion, wisdom, and action flow together as one whole, each portion challenging, adjusting, complementing, and supporting the others. We are, each one of us, a dialogue of the inner and outer, of the spirit, soul, and body. Caught between the transcendent and the material, the eternal and the temporal, we must carefully navigate the flow and currents of this mysterious river of the soul, called life.
Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise Him from the skies!
Praise Him, all his angels, all the armies of heaven.
Praise Him, sun and moon, and all you twinkling stars.
Praise Him, skies above. Praise Him, vapors high above the clouds.
Let everything He has made give praise to Him. (Psalm 148:1-5a NLT)
I believe that we need to be free to speak from our own individual identities, and that as we do so, we also need to be willing to listen carefully and thoughtfully to others and give them the room to grow and become who they truly are. I believe people of different spiritual and cultural backgrounds can celebrate what they have in common and not be afraid of dialogue. I believe that all people, without exception, should be treated with dignity and respect.
The spiritual aspects of identity resonate deeply with very human questions about who we are, why we are here, how we can most fully live, and how we know and experience the world around us. To speak and write sensitively and effectively requires practice, experience, and growth. It is important to cultivate the much needed skills of listening, carefully considering possibilities, and communicating gracefully.
Rhetoric and argument are not necessarily a contest in which one wins or loses; rather they have the potential to be a strategy for honesty as those with different points of view work together for shared goals and common good. Rhetoric and argument are tools for thinking, communicating, and problemsolving that we use every day and in every part of our lives.
"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:8-9).
May the beauty that surrounds us inspire what we create with our words, our thoughts, and our actions.
http://seantlitz.com
