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SPIRITUALITY
HONORING
THE CENTER THAT HOLDS
Over
the years of my ministry, I have had the opportunity and the
honor of working with many people who were in the process
of recovering from various childhood wounds and addictions.
I use the word “honor” quite deliberately, because,
despite the wounds and the layers of addiction, many of the
people I worked with had such spirit, strength and deep-down
integrity, that it deepened (as well as challenged!) my faith,
inspired me, and gave me hope. Even though I was the defined
“helper” in the relationships, clearly there were
mutual gifts exchanged. In this article I intend to explore
the source of this strength, spirit and giftedness. For me,
it is a spiritual source. <read
more>
THE
POLITICS OF FORGIVENESS
"For
centuries the Christian church has guilt-tripped survivors
of sexual abuse to forgive their abusers. Now startling new
biblical evidence exposes a sanctimonious scam.”
This is
a quote of Frederick W. Keene in a recent article on the politics
of forgiveness. He says, “Many Christian clergy interpret
the Bible to mean that survivors of child abuse, battery,
and sexual assault are supposed to forgive the perpetrator.
Add to this many psychologists and therapists, advice columnists,
talk-show hosts and self-help gurus, and it seems as if everyone
in the world believes the same dictum: If you have been abused,
you should find it in your heart to forgive your abuser, and
if you cannot, there is something wrong with you.” <read
more>
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