NEW LEARNING

          I realized something this week that amazed me:

       When I defend my assumptions or opinions in the face of others’ assumptions and opinions which are different from mine, I kick the amygdala in the brain into action. 

    When I say, in response to another, BUT…the amygdala pours adrenaline into my bloodstream ( It is all biology ) my voice rises, my eyes dilate and I’m in fight/flight mode.

         James E Zull, author of The Art of Changing the Brain, makes it clear that while the amygdala is at work, pumping adrenaline into the blood, synapses towards the front cortext of the brain are inhibited. No dendrites grow. No learning can take place. ( It is all biology! )

        If, in lieu of defense, I invite your explanation of your stated assumption, and say, humbly and honestly, I do not have that experience. Let’s talk further … I can be assured that my amygdala is quiet and my learning is possible. Synapses to the front cortext can occur and dendrites can grow. Dialogue has occurred.

        This is new learning for me! I am in awe at the design!

YIELDING invites DIALOGUE

  My dear friend has two grown children: a son and a daughter. They are both gainfully employed, living in their own homes with their own friends.  Mom, however ( my friend Agnes! ) was telling me how hard it is for her not to ask: Did you floss?  Do you need any money? Have you had your flu shot?

      As she put it, I am always Mom! I cannot let go!

      We laughed together and I suggested that she consider a word I learned recently from my esteemed mentor, Walter Brueggemann. He says God invites us to yield to God.

       Yield ! What a lovely Alice in Wonderland portmanteau word!

       Yielding is not letting go. Yield is yield: letting the other take the lead. Letting the young man and young woman live their own lives without the intrusion of a loving Mom. Yield is respect for the other as Subject or decision-maker in her own life. Yielding invites dialogue!

         So Mom asks: How are you?  Great, says her son! Good, says Mom without asking if he has a warm enough coat for the coming winter, or if he is still with that woman! Mom celebrates his feeling great without taking the lead by a slew of questions asking what ”great” means.

          Mom yields to her son.  Her conversation becomes a dialogue rather than an interrogation.  She can tell about her reasons for feeling great herself, and they can celebrate their good lives together.

          Yielding invites dialogue.  Imagine the dialogue yielding to God invites!          

THE PEOPLES CLIMATE MARCH NYC

Four hundred thousand people made what Walter Brueggemann called a magnificently generous action that can redefine our scarcity-based, consumer primed culture.  And we made it marching down Sixth Avenue of New York City: singing, laughing, dancing, chanting. Sixth Avenue: the epitome of high powered business and monied culture! The image speaks volumes!

I am so glad I was there as one of the People of Faith contingent from my Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Raleigh, North Carolina. Folks kept smiling at me and my sign that said: CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA. “Wow!” They said, “You came a long way!” “By bus!” I responded! “Wow!” again!

I shared in that magnificently generous action with men and women of every culture, color, and creed! The tone of the event was family festive fun ! The banners reflected that:  A large picture of the blue marble globe with a caution: DON’T MESS WITH MY MAMA!  And another quiet statement : THERE IS NO PLANET B !

We waited four hours on 58^th street as our friends from 86^th street on down fed into the parade on Sixth Avenue!  Four hours of standing together for  change! I saw folks helping one another, sharing water bottles, fruit and smiles. Four hundred thousand friends having family festive fun!

This poem opened the meetings on climate change of the world's presidents on Tuesday morning, September 23^rd,  at the UN. It is  a mother's poem to her six month old son:

You can hear the poem and see the visuals here:   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJuRjy9k7GA 

She says eloquently what her four hundred thousand friends were saying by our patient, caring peoples’ climate march.

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