We humans are tempted to think that our worth is confirmed in value and dignity by society rather than decreed by God. But people are not made valuable by works; we are created valuable by Grace. Just because one is vilified by society (like a Jew in Nazi culture) does nothing to diminish the true value of that person. Each one of us is a brand new thing in the world with new unrevealed surprises inside them unseen before on earth, a value that no person can erase or dim!
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| "Study for Isomorph (sculpture)", crayon, by Tim Holmes |
Humans really need another escape from the garden. While the escape from
Eden proved our ability to rise above the subsistence living of the animal kingdom, we need a
new escape from the garden of exploitation and into the vast
freedoms of cooperation, beauty, delight, and art. We are still the
stewards of creation, but now that we have proved our dominance
(power over) we need to prove the power of interdependance
(power with), our creative power. As creative equals among an unfinished creation, we are crucial to forming the future!
It is high time we rethink as creative cultural agents things like
conflict. I was surprised to learn that a democracy, being a constant
but controlled civil war, requires conflict to remain healthy. Instead of using conflict as an invitation to eliminate other people's ideas we should view it as the compost of democracy. It really can do some good in the world by bringing the best creative minds together to contend among the best different ideas, like the superbowl. Instead of taking conflict so seriously as a threat, let's embrace it as the vigor of a healthy nation. And may the best ideas win!
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