We are, at the core, philosophically opposed, I think.
Where you are a behaviorist, I am a constructivist.
Where you are conservative (holding things in), I am liberal (freely giving things).
Where you are the authority, I am a fellow learner.
Where you emphasize punishment and reward, I emphasize consequences and restoration.
I am about peace and simplicity and equality and service and seeking truth with a greater community.
And, of course, I think I'm right, and so do you. And these things rock us. And these things divide us. And when it was just me and a spouse, we could handle that. We could be outraged together about something said, something preached, something done in our faith community. We could debate with you for ourselves. But now there is a Little Soul involved. And I want her to be about peace, simplicity, all those things already mentioned, and above all, about love. And so I think we must take separate paths.
And I understand that this, too, can seem divisive. And I know this entire post could seem that way, but deep down, I need to align my core beliefs with my community of faith, and vice versa.
...lucky for us we are surrounded by Friends.
On Community: The essence of the Community Testimony of Friends is collectively seeking God in our lives. It is more than a belief; it is a commitment to action. As a community, we seek to know and live out the divine will. The Community Testimony demands unity and trust as a gathered people. To nurture community we learn to temper our individual understandings so we can unite with others in a larger experience. (Various sources)
