Why are we only applauding masculinity in women and villainizing it in men? And why are we only applauding femininity in men and debasing it in women? Why can’t we just allow for all of it? Why do we feel the need to vilify a man wearing shit-kicker boots, driving a pick-up truck who’s not afraid to punch someone in the face, but if they were a woman, they would be the epitome of cool? Why is a man who loves make-up, cries easily and stays at home to tend to the domestic responsibilities valiant, but a woman who does the same is pathetic?
I think the truly revolutionary act is as old as time: “Do not judge.” – Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, etc. Let each be who they are and let us teach grace and charity above all things.
These overarching ideas are far simpler and more effective than trying to juggle the minutia of judgement. They are ideas that protect us all from the excesses of each persons vices while still allowing the expression of their self. Grace and charity are cornerstones of a thriving society and should not be abandoned. We need them like we need democracy, justice and peace. And, without them, we can’t have democracy, justice or peace.
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” -St. Augustine of Hippo
📸 @maryam_essa from the desert oasis of Siwa, Egypt
#masculinity #femininity #judgement #grace #charity #peace #love #unity
Happy birthday, Mama. You’re a class act, every time. I love you ❤️
@michellepfeifferofficial
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
Look mom! No hands!
#floating #saltwater
📸 @maryam_essa
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” -African Proverb
@farmersfootprint #earthday #fundraiser
“Guilt, I am told, is about things we have done or not done, but our shame is about the primal emptiness of our very being. Shame is not about what we have done, but about who we are and who we are not. Guilt is a moral question. Shame – foundational shame, at least- has to do with our very being itself. It is not resolved by changing behavior as much as by changing our very self-image, our alignment with the universe. Shame is not about what we do, but where we abide.
…People often seem to start with this premise: “If I behave correctly, I will one day see God clearly.” Yet the biblical tradition says the exact opposite: If we see God clearly, we will behave in a good and human way. Our right behavior does not cumulatively lead to our true being; our true being leads to eventual right behavior. Many of us think that good morality will lead to mystical union, but in fact, mystical union produces correct morality-along with a lot of joy left over. The greatest surprise is that sometimes a bad moral response results in the very collapsing of the ego that leads to our falling into the hands of the living God.” -Father #RichardRohr
Sometimes the wrong train will take us to the right station.
#centerforcontemplationandaction #guilt #shame #identity #selfimage #truebeing
📸 @maryam_essa
“Being tired is part of life. Feeling it is the art if life.” -Brown
📸 by my 11-year-old son
“Being tired is part of life. Feeling it is the art if life.” -Brown
📸 by my 11-year-old son
“Being tired is part of life. Feeling it is the art if life.” -Brown
📸 by my 11-year-old son
So proud to see my friends and family showing the world the true beauty of being Hawaiian. @raiateamusic your spirit is the embodiment of aloha. @alohaainapoico you are a pillar of Hawaiian strength in your community, in Hawaii and soon, across the world. Unko Kimo your commitment to the kupuna and the keiki bears witness to your heritage. Cousin (Uncle) Joe, you are a keeper of the sacred flame of story and tradition. I have not seen this episode yet, but I look forward to being a fly on the wall to this very well-produced Talk Story. 🪰🐗🐓🌴🌱🌎
I have not read my friend @jedidiahjenkins ‘s new book yet, but I do think that all of the “issues” facing the “West” today boil down to this one, simple thing he’s talking about…how to love each other when we don’t agree. I believe there is no more revolutionary act we can engage in today, than to get in the mess with our families, our friends, our churches, our mosques, our neighbours. If we keep avoiding the discomfort, we will avoid ourselves out of being alive. As usual, Jed, talking about what matters to all of us, in a way that matters to you. Thank you for living in your slipstream. I’m with you. In it. In the mess. Covered in mud. Licking my cracked lips and happy to be alive.
I have not read my friend @jedidiahjenkins ‘s new book yet, but I do think that all of the “issues” facing the “West” today boil down to this one, simple thing he’s talking about…how to love each other when we don’t agree. I believe there is no more revolutionary act we can engage in today, than to get in the mess with our families, our friends, our churches, our mosques, our neighbours. If we keep avoiding the discomfort, we will avoid ourselves out of being alive. As usual, Jed, talking about what matters to all of us, in a way that matters to you. Thank you for living in your slipstream. I’m with you. In it. In the mess. Covered in mud. Licking my cracked lips and happy to be alive.
