I sometimes
ask the divinity school students I work with to consider their “non-negotiables”:
the beliefs, convictions, and practices which are so central and crucial to
their understanding of what it means to be a human being and to be a follower
of Jesus that they will not surrender them or compromise them, no matter what
the cost.
ask the divinity school students I work with to consider their “non-negotiables”:
the beliefs, convictions, and practices which are so central and crucial to
their understanding of what it means to be a human being and to be a follower
of Jesus that they will not surrender them or compromise them, no matter what
the cost.
I
think it’s a crucial exercise, because if we don’t know what’s most essential,
we can unwittingly give our primary loyalty and prime energy to secondary concerns. Lacking the necessary clarity about what
matters most, we can damage our integrity, lose our self-respect, and show
carelessness toward the people and things which actually deserve the most care. I don’t think it’s possible to live joyfully
or lead effectively until we have a sense of what’s non-negotiable for us.
think it’s a crucial exercise, because if we don’t know what’s most essential,
we can unwittingly give our primary loyalty and prime energy to secondary concerns. Lacking the necessary clarity about what
matters most, we can damage our integrity, lose our self-respect, and show
carelessness toward the people and things which actually deserve the most care. I don’t think it’s possible to live joyfully
or lead effectively until we have a sense of what’s non-negotiable for us.
Here
are two of my “non-negotiables”:
are two of my “non-negotiables”:
First
(and I am paraphrasing Carlyle Marney here), I will follow light, as soon as I
know it to be light, wherever it leads. There is no incompatibility between
Light and God, between Truth and Jesus.
If something is true it participates in, flows from, or leads to the
kind of God made known to us in the life, teachings, death and resurrection of
Jesus.
(and I am paraphrasing Carlyle Marney here), I will follow light, as soon as I
know it to be light, wherever it leads. There is no incompatibility between
Light and God, between Truth and Jesus.
If something is true it participates in, flows from, or leads to the
kind of God made known to us in the life, teachings, death and resurrection of
Jesus.
So,
my non-negotiable is: I won’t allow tradition
or majority opinion to shackle my quest for truth.
my non-negotiable is: I won’t allow tradition
or majority opinion to shackle my quest for truth.
There
is a corollary: Genuine truth doesn’t create
arrogance in the one who embraces it, and the light of reality melts human
pride. Determination to live by
truth includes a resolve to cultivate humility in the face of mystery and to
live with an open, teachable, and childlike spirit.
is a corollary: Genuine truth doesn’t create
arrogance in the one who embraces it, and the light of reality melts human
pride. Determination to live by
truth includes a resolve to cultivate humility in the face of mystery and to
live with an open, teachable, and childlike spirit.
Second,
God created all human beings in the divine image; God cherishes and loves all
human beings. There are no exceptions. None.
No matter how broken or sinful or shameful someone may feel; without
regard for success or failure, and beyond categories of race, ethnicity,
religion, class, gender, or sexuality, there is no one who does not, in some
ways, reflect the shining imprint of God’s image. All people have an undying dignity and an
imperishable worth.
God created all human beings in the divine image; God cherishes and loves all
human beings. There are no exceptions. None.
No matter how broken or sinful or shameful someone may feel; without
regard for success or failure, and beyond categories of race, ethnicity,
religion, class, gender, or sexuality, there is no one who does not, in some
ways, reflect the shining imprint of God’s image. All people have an undying dignity and an
imperishable worth.
No
one is beyond the reach of God’s embrace.
There are many ways to understand the message of Jesus; one of those
ways is that he lived and died among us to make God’s free, passionate, and
unconditional love for the whole world and for everyone unmistakable. God calls
me to respect the divine image in everyone and, in the spirit of Jesus, to love
everyone.
one is beyond the reach of God’s embrace.
There are many ways to understand the message of Jesus; one of those
ways is that he lived and died among us to make God’s free, passionate, and
unconditional love for the whole world and for everyone unmistakable. God calls
me to respect the divine image in everyone and, in the spirit of Jesus, to love
everyone.
The
non-negotiable which flows from this understanding of God’s treasuring of all
people is: To the degree that I am aware
of the impact of my words and actions, I will not speak, act, or lead in a way
that diminishes anyone’s dignity or demeans anyone’s worth or causes anyone to
doubt God’s love for him or her. Nor
will I lend my loyalty or support to any group which does. When I become aware of hurtful and harmful
effects of my words or actions—effects about which I was ignorant or
insensitive—I will make every effort to change.
non-negotiable which flows from this understanding of God’s treasuring of all
people is: To the degree that I am aware
of the impact of my words and actions, I will not speak, act, or lead in a way
that diminishes anyone’s dignity or demeans anyone’s worth or causes anyone to
doubt God’s love for him or her. Nor
will I lend my loyalty or support to any group which does. When I become aware of hurtful and harmful
effects of my words or actions—effects about which I was ignorant or
insensitive—I will make every effort to change.
There
are other “non-negotiables” which guide my life, but these are the two that
govern and shape the others. They are
like a tent I pitch along the path of my continuing search for what matters
most and the quest for courage to live by what I discover. I rest in them, but the journey is
ceaseless.
are other “non-negotiables” which guide my life, but these are the two that
govern and shape the others. They are
like a tent I pitch along the path of my continuing search for what matters
most and the quest for courage to live by what I discover. I rest in them, but the journey is
ceaseless.
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