We Have Met the Enemy

I'm sure that avid cartoon strip reader's are smiling right now with the title of this post. It is a fragment of a sentence in the strip Pogo (probably printed almost a million years ago) that states, "We has met the enemy, and it is us!" So much truth contained in such a few words. In this time of New Year's Resolutions, one needs to pause and consider why it is that so many are made, and then never implemented fully. Another way to put that is, why don't we change the things we can change and be at peace with those we can't (aka Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer)? One of the problems that gets in the way of personal change is the ability to recognize that our basic mindset is dualistic (read comparative or competitive). This "We vs. They" or "Us vs. Them" or "Keeping up with the Joneses" worldview sets up any personal behavior change as a competition or comparative (we create an enemy). Thus we can only win or lose - we can never be at peace. I was amazed at a new weight loss commercial that finally realized this and changes the goal of the process to how you will feel about you - what your personal wish is for the process. Finally, a commercial that recognizes some of the issues that get in the way - and re-frames success in terms of win-win. Faith communities are no different...really no institution is. Well meaning and busy people come together to try and "do" things for an organization. For faith communities, this means that in the best of instances they try to discern the will of G-d for the organization. Unfortuantely, all too often the discernment becomes secular decision making and voting (i.e., it becomes win-lose) and enemies are created within the community. People will leave and other people will become passive-aggressive and sabotage any endeavor that didn't go their way. Sound familiar?! My own community struggles with the concept of consensus. Consensus is often seen as "everyone agrees or we don't make a decision". Instead, consensus is a process of seeking unity of purpose rather than 100% agreement on an issue. When we are unified in our understanding of our need to continue to be in right relationship with each other, then we understand that budgets need to be approved and personnel need to be hired/fired in order to move the mission forward. I will probably not agree with some of the decisions, but can I remove my personal enemy (ego or enmity) from the mix and allow space to see what happens? This is true consensus - but it is very difficult for dualistic minds to grasp and to accomplish. This week as you go about your tasks for whatever community(ies) you may support, look inside yourself and identify your personal enemy. What is getting in your way to be what G-d intends you to be? Ask for help with this ball of feelings and resolve to reduce the impact that this darkness has on the decisions you help make in 2012. Seek unity of purpose in all that you do. Peace for the journey, Dan