Yes.... And?

This week I spent time in a call where we dis-cussed the idea of paradox which is that “Paradoxes embrace ambiguity, expose our intolerance for uncertainty, push our boundaries, and, if we hang on long enough, often force us to deny the comfort of our ideology for a deeper wisdom that is a more honest reflection of the human experience and the human spirit” (Brene Brown “Strong Ground”). 

The idea behind this is that when we hold on to both edges of a paradox, we begin to find new and different answers and solutions that we never would have thought of before. 

We were then challenged to think about the paradoxes in our own community. 

• purpose AND profit 

• freedom AND responsibility 

• discipline AND creativity 

• extremely tight culture AND ability to change, move, and adapt 

• investment for the long term AND demands for short-term performance 

• philosophical, visionary, futuristic thinking AND superb daily execution 

We can have both. It’s not an either-or like we so often believe. We don’t have to choose between these things. As we continue our discussion of the future of the congregation, I’d invite you to name those paradoxes you see in our community. The grief and the gratitude that we experience here in the church. 

How do you resist, resolve, and rest when those paradoxes come up? 

What practices offer you support during them? 

What draws you into the mystery and the uncertainty of holding the tension between the two sides of the paradox you’ve identified? 

It’s never an either/or. 

It’s an AND. 

Yes…and…?