Tenderness
This has been a difficult weekend for me. It was through my ineffective ministry in Maine that I realize the painful reality that I am not a tender person at all.I have never quite believed in the "head knowledge" vs. "heart knowledge" dichotomy. I still don't. But there really has been something that I tend to miss when I am dealing with people. Being an intellectual type (it's time for me to admit this) I tend to establish a theoretical framework (historical, theological, socio-economic, philosophical, etc.) before I look into the actual phenomenon I'm dealing with, and this leads to the absurdity of making "the system," rather than the individual, the point of departure of my inquiry. Whenever I see something that doesn't fit into my neat little theory, I explain the facts away...
In this way, I lost all flexibility in dealing with people. I am essentially making the same mistakes the Vulgar Marxists have always been making. By making the system (whether it be history or theology or political economy) the point of departure of my inquiry I've also lost a sense of what Quakers traditionally call 'tenderness.' This is so for I've forgotten that it is human beings of blood and flesh that I am communicating and ministering to. It hardens my heart to a certain degree...
posted by James Chang @ 11:21 PM
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