The Wounded Believers

 

 

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵ Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.^[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii,^[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

The Wounded Believer

After reading and thinking about the parable of the Good Samaritan, I wonder several things.  I wonder who is the most wounded in this story?  Jesus of course has the right to pass judgment but instead uses this example to teach us so many things such as compassion, love, and humility.  But if we look deeper, aren’t there many Wounded Believers in this story?  And although we are wounded, is anyone absolved from their responsibility to show love and compassion to another?

 

Interestingly in Jesus’ story, both initial men who passed on the opposite side of the road so as to avoid the beaten man were men with placement and honor in God’s House.  The Priest, of course, holding a most high position in direct connection with God.  The Levite an honored member of the lineage of Levi and then comes the rigid Samaritan.  Of all three of these individuals, it is the uptight Samaritan who gets dirty in showing love, kindness, and compassion. 

 

I have been thinking about this story for abit.  One of the themes in my life has been that I’ve always told people that one incident does not a reputation make!  However it is repeated incidents which shape one’s character and reputation.

 

Ray and I have had some recent encounters with some of my previous environment colleagues and we both received very cool responses.  The responses by these high level individuals perplexed me because I didn’t do anything to them, that I can recall, which would elicit the responses received.

 

So I began to question and reflect, as I always do.  Some of my thoughts have settled upon this notion:  we are all Wounded Believers.  It is what we believe in, that differs. 

 

While I (and Ray) are more believers in values I am realizing that others are believers in persons.  Whereas Ray and I tend to stand on enduring values such as faith, compassion, and so on, we ultimately will make a decision in favor of a value over a person.  Not everyone lives their life in this manner. 

 

In light of the last two years, I realize now that some individuals were/are so aligned with a person that they will forego warmth, politeness, and caring because they feel a person has been wronged-not necessarily that a value has been violated, but a person they believed in has been wronged.

 

My thoughts are that ultimately we are all fallen people so believing in a value seems to be a more pure intention than believing in another person who may or may not be telling us the truth.

 

However I realize that for some the dichotomy was severe.  Whereas I believe my story is valid, I am able to recognize that the story lived for others is/was very different.  My story is not their story.  Sadly though, those indivdiuals cannot seem to believe that their story is not my story.  Promotions, raises, recognitions, and access to “ears” came easily for some.  Not for me.

 

So when accusations came forward one incident does not a reputation make!  So what is one accusation?  A thorough investigation (say one that takes eight weeks?) surely would have invalidated any false accusations.  A lower level investigation would have discounted my word easily saying that one person is simply disgruntled or something of the like.  Or a local investigation which did not fact check could easily stack the deck against a lowly staff member officing in a closet. 

However, when you have so many accusations that it takes you eight weeks to wade through.  Or it is public knowledge that greater than ten former accusations were filed in the two previous years…I do believe a pattern of some kind if forming.

 

At that point individuals have to choose to believe the accusations or discount the claims.  In a first round, I can see how easy it would be to discount accusations.  I too would expect to withhold judgment until a thorough investigation was conducted.

 

When second, third, and beyond accusations move forward, when we have the level of investigation that removes someone from their position for eight weeks before announcing the person is no longer available, you again have to face the question of believe or discount.

 

If you decide to discount again, then I believe you are teetering on denial.  Or maybe you feel the power is so strong you still have to keep up the show else you’re the next victim?  Even as the victims cry out?

 

Even though I have received cold treatment by the powers that now be, I still hold to the value that we are all called to “Love God and love others” and no one should shoulder blame in this situation. 

 

Honestly I followed the Matthew 18 principle in that I went and asked multiple times to be respected, to be valued, and to be useful.  When that did not work, others went on my behalf.  When that did not work and over two years had passed, I asked a neutral party to simply investigate. 

 

Should the Priest have helped the beaten man?  Yes, he should have.  However we don’t know his story.  Should the Levite have helped the beaten man?  Yes, he should have.  But again, we don’t know his story.  What we do know is that the Samaritan did help, the beaten man was shown love, compassion, kindness, and the face of God. 

 

So on my best days, I keep this in mind and realize just as I am a Wounded Believer, so too are they.  But on my worst days I am hurt and angry at them and want to shake them and say “can’t you see” as I point to the beaten man in the ditch which is my story. 

Moving from Entertainment to Engagement

Lately I have been doing focus groups with students on a topic unrelated to my dissertation.  However, I cannot help but see the connections to my work as the students share their thoughts.  First, some context from my work:

Lindholm (2007) noted that nearly half of students beginning college indicate that spiritual issues are essential or highly important to them.  Now, don’t imagine a group of students sitting around talking about Jesus-this is college remember. 

Think instead of heated debates over whether or not Texas will ever acknowledge same-sex marriage.  Or think of a thoughtful student sitting in the library supposedly working on accounting homework but daydreaming about how he will honestly live most of his work days-in the family business that he is lined up to inherit, or teaching middle-school students to play soccer which makes his heart leap in his chest with enthusiasm.

Realize also, that two-thirds of these students expect their college or university to promote their “self-understanding, prepare them for responsible citizenship, develop their personal values, and provide for emotional development” (p. 12). 

College students clearly desire spirituality and spiritual development as a part of their university experience and expect colleges and universities to provide environments that facilitate their spiritual growth.

Minasian (2010) urged the higher education community to consider implementing a more holistic environment for students “not only to gain rich academic experiences, but also to understand that values, ethics, and morals are part of that experience” (p. 3). 

Obviously Minasian believed in the importance of the academic environment, including discussions of values, ethics, and morals as important components of student growth. 

For example, in place of sterile, morally stripped discussions about the rules of finance without discussion about the moral obligations of money handling, students miss rich opportunities for dialogue about character and causes greater to enriching the self than balancing ledgers.  Higher education environments that allow morality and spirituality should not compete against those that do not.  All college environments should evolve to serve today’s students’ needs holistically.

As I have listened to these focus groups, students are craving these discussions.  Sometimes the students will mention attending a Speaker Series but what they are really, really craving is for a peer leader to facilitate respectful, authentic give and take conversations among friends.  The students are begging for someone to have meaningful dialogue with them in the residence hall.  Where has our ability to facilitate learned engagement gone? 

These students clearly have indicated a desire for these discussions over a short-term party atmosphere.  They are clear that they want nothing to interfere with their (wait for it) study time.  Not even kidding, they have been clear that they will forego a fun event to stay in their room and study.  No contest. 

So, higher education must move from an entertainment model to an engagement model.  And this change needs to come quickly!

 

REFERENCES

Lindholm, J. A. (2007, September/October). Spirituality in the academy: Reintegrating our lives and the lives of our students. About Campus, 10-17. doi:10.1002/abc.218

Minasian, S. A. (2010, November 14). Spiritual life on campus: Agreeing to disagree. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Spiritual-Life-on-Campus-/125328/

Living Your Values

 I’ve read many definitions of integrity and I guess for me it comes down to making your behavioral choices align with your long-term values.

Before I came to my current environment I had idealistic (unrealistic?) thoughts about how people conducted their lives.  I believed in authenticity and I believed in living the values you espouse.

 

I still believe in those things.  I just don’t believe in people as much.  I now realize living an authentic life with integrity is much rarer.

 

I have been surprised at how many weddings certain people are not invited to because that person may be “blacklisted” by someone else. For some reason I truly thought that events like weddings, showers, and other celebrations were times when lines dissolved and the pureness of celebration, of joy, and of sharing triumphed.

 

I’ve learned I have been wrong….my perceptions are idealistic and one can be shunned for no valid reason other than because someone else on the guest list (with more power) doesn’t favor the person. 

I recall a specific incident when a very high profile wedding was occurring and one individual was not invited which surprised a lot of people.   The uninvited person had provided job opportunities and promotions to the person getting married but was not in favor by the leader. 

 

Fast forward a couple of years and the System forwhich we all work conducts and eight-week investigation and the power player is no longer working at the institution.  After about six months the environment has begun to neutralize.

 

I wonder does it bother the person that they took the “in” political route instead of holding to authentic values?

 

I wonder was it worth it?  Was it worth playing to the current political structure instead of integrity?

 

After working in higher education for 24 years, one thing I know for sure, power will shift.

 

Because power will shift, I find it is easier to sleep at night when you have demonstrated your own integrity.

Don’t sway to the passing political powers-stay true to your own values.  They will serve you in the long run.

6 Reasons asking yourself “What is my Lesson in this Situation?” is beneficial

6 Reasons asking yourself “What is my Lesson in this Situation?” is beneficial

By: Dr. Elizabeth Wallace

I am a big believer in asking “what is my lesson in this situation?”

I do this to mine wisdom and growth from situations I might otherwise be inclined to complain about.  Below are six reasons why asking yourself this question is a good habit to form:

Asking this simple question:

1.       Keeps you focused on you.  This helps prevent blaming!

2.       Helps you remain positive.  It is hard to focus on being angry or bitter when you are seeking growth and enlightenment.

3.       Moves you through mental stages.  As an individual considers actions as lessons, it is difficult to ignore the desire to implement the learning in one’s life.

4.       Reminds you that you are part of something bigger than yourself; you are connected to others.

5.       Allows you to connect events that might not have been connected otherwise.  Asking questions of yourself may help identify trends in your behavior that can be addressed for improvement.

6.       Establishes the practice of reflection.

It is often easy to get swept up in so much of the busy-ness or distractions offered by today’s lifestyles and establishes an art practice of centering oneself.  Taking a few minutes to journal or just think about these six things will help individuals strive to be the best self, possible.

Bio:

Dr. Elizabeth Wallace has a doctorate of education and has spent 24 years working with college students.  Her passion is spirituality and the development of spiritual identity.  Dr. Wallace and her husband live in Texas where they are well-trained by their seven year old Boarder Collie, Pete and their two year old Australian Shepard, RePete.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.l.wallace.5

Twitter:  libby0218

Moving to a Standardized College Education -Times Are Changing

Moving to a Standardized College Education

-Times Are Changing

This week Sweet Briar College announced that it would close in August 2015.  Sweet Briar’s decision came with methodical analysis and took my breath away.

I did not attend Sweet Briar or have any association with the institution; however, to me, Sweet Briar’s closing is a warning to American higher education to consider some significant questions such as

o   What is our purpose?

o   Why are we here?

o   Who are we serving?

As an Assessment Specialist, I often prompt others to think about the question of purpose so the Sweet Briar announcement elicited a level of emotion for which I was not prepared. 

Why did this small, private, women’s liberal arts college stir emotion with me who was far away at a state, regional institution?

The answer, while complicated, is seated in my work for many years in college student identity.

While Sweet Briar played by all the rules, the internal hippie in me balks at the standardization I perceive to be at the root cause of the school’s closure. 

The media, law (policy) makers, and the general public (of which 20% have a Bachelor’s degree according to the 2014 census.gov website) desire an ability to compare certain information across a wide array of institutions.

A problem with standard metrics, such as the one’s institutions now must submit to accrediting agencies and for-profit websites in order to “play the game,” is that they strip the institution of identity (for the sake of easy comparison.)

You can compare my standard statistics to those of Christie Brinkley:

o   We are both blonde

o   We are both mothers

o   We are both 5’9”

However, others would argue that our similarities end there!  Christie is a long-time vegetarian who models and has been married four times. 

I am less the supermodel and more the super nerd, eat meat, and married the love of my life at 19.  Few would argue for the standardization of metrics so they could compare me with Ms. Brinkley.

So why do we demand such standardization for colleges and universities who are just as unique?

Websites such as collegeportraits.org or the StudentAchievementMeasures.org, or even school sponsored sites such as analytics.tamus.edu request submission of metrics, which standardize institutions as unique as Christie and I.

How does one portray “fit” which is a fundamental element of success for a college student?

How does an institution describe culture when using numbers and percentages? 

Is this the most appropriate engagement of the public’s time and resources?

Is this an effort to standardize education similar to that of the European Union with the Bologna Process?

Regardless of the intent, we need to slow down and refocus on bigger questions!

Sweet Briar College served 700 unique, individual students who found Sweet Briar to fit their unique identities.  These students who we say we serve, may not be a fit for other institutions.

For a country priding itself on the diversity of its offerings, this move seems to limit student choice for the future.  After generations have been educated and formed their identity at Sweet Briar, the likes of the mother of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Janet Bouvier, Jean Oliver Sarton (artist), and Molly Haskell (feminist film critic). 

Are we, as a collective people, willing to give up on women like them?  Are we willing to lose a future Diana Muldour or Elaine Dundy for the sake of mindless comparison?

Is it worth is to not have to examine, investigate, and crunch your own numbers?

In assessment we like to begin with the questions of why are you here?  What is your purpose?  Thus I inquire of the American higher educational system—what is your purpose?

·               Have we taken the standardization train as far as we can go?

·               Have we just stepped over the line?

Did we really just end a 114-year history? 

Sometimes closure is a good thing—but I believe we are at a point for close examination of costs and benefit…..and purpose.

Passion, Energy, and Ideas.....Do Strengths Die?

           

            I think back about my unmedicated “Activator” strength as thought I am thinking back over my “glory” days.

            Before Tarleton, the strengths were more pure, more raw, and definitely more lived-out with others.

            I think back now with the fondness of being in an environment that wanted ideas from everyone-not just a chosen few.  I think about how things were set up for individuals to succeed—literally success was a hallmark for individuals in their jobs and they were celebrated.

            I was celebrated.

            Then it all changed.  A new work environment and my ideas, energy, and planning is not wanted.

            Of course I’m not bright enough to figure that out, so I continued being me!

            Then the messages to change are communicated:

·      You don’t fit in here

·      You are not one of us

·      We like it the way it is—stop trying to make it that other place

So where do passion, ideas, and planning go to die?  How do you stop being who you are?

You medicate it.  With enough numbing, you can become someone you once knew….a long time ago.

Those things that brought you praise and affirmations at one time are now just memories of days long gone.

To cope, I changed.  And they say you can never step in the same river twice.  Those things which are “in the hay day” made me known for passion, ideas, energy, presentation…are they gone forever?

Now I’m known for being “nice” and “kind” and “quiet.”  Who is this person I’ve become…..or maybe I didn’t know who I was before?  How do I reconcile these two very (VERY) different experiences?

Is one experience “better” so I should attempt to affirm it?  Or should I take the best from each—as opposite as they may be—and develop a  new experience?

Even if I choose to develop a  new experience, I’m left with questions:

·      Why didn’t the strengths work as well in the new environment?

·      Did I just get older or did I get any better?

·      How do I not repeat this “mistake” again, in a new environment? (that’s a blog entry for another day on “fit!”)

·      Was it me?  Was it them?

Looking back now—has it been worth it?

Jesus said in James 2:5 that God has chosen “those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith.”  The growth in my faith over this last decade is undeniable.

I have been cut to my knees in every way and because of this “poor” status, I have relied on God.  Sometimes I have had to simply grope for Jesus and ride it out but the lesson is, I’ve learned where the Lord fits in my life!

He is the core and the cornerstone.  As I seemingly emerge from whatever mystical fog, I know this for sure:

·               I am in a relationship with a real and living Being who Loves me, knows my heart & soul better than I do, and walks hand-in-hand with me everyday.

·               I know I am loved, cherished, and called.

·               I know that as I wander around this human experience, I have a Savior with me.  I am never alone.

·               I know this journey is about learning to love:

o   Love God

o   Love Others

o   Love Myself

And ultimately it is a dynamic journey.  Never static—always moving, changing, and evolving.

The constant?  God’s love and presence for me.

So I continue onward.

January in the Rearview Mirror

January is already over!  The new of 2015 has worn off and we are into regular wear and tear!

January was hectic and I’m looking forward to February.

Related to our words:  rejuvenate and harmony

I feel like we did well with harmony.

I, personally, did not do well with my invitation of bringing more into my life with rejuvenation.  I need to work on this.

Related to my health:  I feel like I’m pulling into the passing lane!  I’m getting more control of my blood sugar as of the 27^th of the month.  While readings had been running 250-450, I am now back around 150.  I should feel better quickly.

During the month, Dr. Fung, helped me understand a little more about lupus.  Fortunately I am not in an active flare right now.  Although we ALL want to figure out the anemia.

My need for February is to invite myself to exercise more and experiment with a new flood plan, which involves more carbohydrates and vegetables.

My high point this month was flying to Los Angeles and presenting my dissertation findings then being Hooded.

February’s focus is going to be REJUVENATION & HARMONY THROUGH INTENTIONALITY.