On Being a Bumble Bee - Mona Eltahawy
What defines you? Does anything? What are you experiences that brought you to where you are now? How can we take those experience, both positive and negative, and see how they have helped us grow? Are we thankful for these experiences and our growth or can we find ways to be that way?
These are questions surrounding part of our discussion of our theme of gratitude at our bi-monthly discussion. We looked into how the things we encountered in our past have allowed us to come to where we are now. Even if we are not exactly where we may want to ultimately end up in life, we discussed how to look at our present and build upon it to create a positive atmosphere to propel us into the future.
We also discussed the role of God in guiding us on our paths and how giving thanks was one way to not only acknowledge what we have accomplished so far in life or where life is taking us, but also to help us stop and see the positive aspects of our journey and how important each step has been in moving us along that journey.
We talked about our relationship to our fellow humans and if we learn to be thankful for what we have, it can also inspire us to look to others for help, to help and to move along with in our journeys. Selfishness, while sometimes seemingly innate, is something one can learn to grow beyond and learn to find a process to recover from the selfishness spiral.
This month's focus is on thanks, because of Thanksgiving at the end of the month, and on religion and the media, because of the recent elections and other world events occuring around us. So, how we combine image, journey, thanks and definition of one's self in relation to God and others have been common elements in our discussions.
What are your thoughts?
~~~~~~
Verses from the discussion:
It is not permitted for a person to die except by God's leave in an appointed record. Whoever wants the rewards of this world We give him of it, and whoever wants the reward of the Hereafter, We give him of it. We will reward the thankful. Qu'ran 3:145
God is the One who committed the sea, that you may eat from it a tender meat, and that you may extract from it pearls that you wear. You see the ships flowing through it, so that you may seek from His bounty, and that you may be thankful. Qu'ran 16:14
God is the One Who made the night and the day in succession, for those who wish to remember or wish to be thankful. Qu'ran 25:62
One who had knowledge from the book said, "I will bring it to you before you blink." So when he saw it resting before him, he said, "This is from the grace of my Lord, so that He tests me whether I am thankful or whether I reject. As for he who is thankful, he is thankful for himself, and as for he who rejects, then my Lord is Rich, Bountiful." Qu'ran 27:40
We had given Luqman the wisdom: "You shall be thankful to God, and whoever is thankful is being thankful for his own good. As for whosoever rejects, then God is Rich, Praiseworthy." Qu'ran 31.12
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial— This God of Grace, this God of Love. He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift! He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last— Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. The good life begins in the fear of God— Do that and you'll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever! Psalm 111
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Showing posts with label self-realization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-realization. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Definitions and Respect
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
I attended a lecture last week where the speaker introduced some new concepts in relation to thinking about Islam. It fascinated most people in the group who asked lots of questions about the concept and troubled one guy fiercely. He had been taught a certain view about Islam and the new concept did not fit within that taught definition. The speaker was very patient and considerate. At the end, you could see that busted bubble of certainty the man once had about Islam. You could feel a palpable change. The speaker understood there had been a change, but never once acted arrogant.
I asked him later how he was so deft in introducing a completely new concept to someone and how I might do the same. He assured me that by relating to someone in an unobtrustive way and offering familiar examples was the way that had worked best for him. He was not always successful at a complete change, but sometimes just putting enough thoughts into a person's head was enough to render some sort of movement to consideration, which was the speaker's only goal.
I looked at my own self and wondered how I could possibly take on the whole of someone's psyche and change it. I did not have the education nor did I have the respect the speaker had. God then reminded me of a time when I had been able to move people to thought.
I once taught a group of students and came upon a very touchy subject for them, the Holocaust. I had several students protest and refuse to participate in the mandatory reading for the class. I had never experienced anything where a majority of people in a group I was dealing with moved together to deny something I had always accepted as fact.
I spent the next couple of days, all I had before the next class, and read all I could about the Holocaust. I tried to understand my student's point of view through research, as well. I did want to convey to my students I absolutely did believe in the Holocaust, but I wanted to approach them in a way that could instigate change. I had limited resources, so I decided to print a picture of Anne Frank and a picture of people in a concentration camp.
I went the next day to class not knowing what I was going to say, but I knew I had to at least try. I first showed a picture of Anne Frank and asked if anyone knew who she was. No one knew exactly, but they decided the picture was of someone from a nearby town in the past, based on what she looked like and what she wore. I next showed the other picture and once again asked the student's thoughts. The students saw the people as being victims of something horrible and expressed many feelings about how they wanted to help or could help the people they saw.
I mentioned the picture of the girl was of the person we were going to read about that day and the other picture showed an example of what happened when she was writing. The students read the story and then realized the pictures I had showed them were of Jewish people in the Holocaust.
A couple students were angry I had "tricked" them, but I said I never talked about the pictures, the students had. The students realized they had defined the pictures and things changed. One guy, who was a leader in the class, said he was not sure if he could believe the Holocaust was a big as it was portrayed to be in the story, but he did believe the words of Anne Frank were genuine and the picture was not fake, for no one would purposely do that to themself. He also stated that it did not matter who was in the pictures because people should not be treated that way, even if they were an enemy. The other students reacted positively to the guy's statement and came to a consensus the Holocaust, at the very least, was something they could consider having happened.
I had not completely changed the students' opinions, but I had at least affected a change. The students respected me enough to eventually see I was not trying to "trick" them, but rather was trying to help them think outside their world.
I then thought about what had been presented to me by the speaker. I finally understood enough to think outside my own limitations. I knew I did have the ability to move others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"God has taught you that which you knew not in the past."(Qur'an 2:239)
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
I attended a lecture last week where the speaker introduced some new concepts in relation to thinking about Islam. It fascinated most people in the group who asked lots of questions about the concept and troubled one guy fiercely. He had been taught a certain view about Islam and the new concept did not fit within that taught definition. The speaker was very patient and considerate. At the end, you could see that busted bubble of certainty the man once had about Islam. You could feel a palpable change. The speaker understood there had been a change, but never once acted arrogant.
I asked him later how he was so deft in introducing a completely new concept to someone and how I might do the same. He assured me that by relating to someone in an unobtrustive way and offering familiar examples was the way that had worked best for him. He was not always successful at a complete change, but sometimes just putting enough thoughts into a person's head was enough to render some sort of movement to consideration, which was the speaker's only goal.
I looked at my own self and wondered how I could possibly take on the whole of someone's psyche and change it. I did not have the education nor did I have the respect the speaker had. God then reminded me of a time when I had been able to move people to thought.
I once taught a group of students and came upon a very touchy subject for them, the Holocaust. I had several students protest and refuse to participate in the mandatory reading for the class. I had never experienced anything where a majority of people in a group I was dealing with moved together to deny something I had always accepted as fact.
I spent the next couple of days, all I had before the next class, and read all I could about the Holocaust. I tried to understand my student's point of view through research, as well. I did want to convey to my students I absolutely did believe in the Holocaust, but I wanted to approach them in a way that could instigate change. I had limited resources, so I decided to print a picture of Anne Frank and a picture of people in a concentration camp.
I went the next day to class not knowing what I was going to say, but I knew I had to at least try. I first showed a picture of Anne Frank and asked if anyone knew who she was. No one knew exactly, but they decided the picture was of someone from a nearby town in the past, based on what she looked like and what she wore. I next showed the other picture and once again asked the student's thoughts. The students saw the people as being victims of something horrible and expressed many feelings about how they wanted to help or could help the people they saw.
I mentioned the picture of the girl was of the person we were going to read about that day and the other picture showed an example of what happened when she was writing. The students read the story and then realized the pictures I had showed them were of Jewish people in the Holocaust.
A couple students were angry I had "tricked" them, but I said I never talked about the pictures, the students had. The students realized they had defined the pictures and things changed. One guy, who was a leader in the class, said he was not sure if he could believe the Holocaust was a big as it was portrayed to be in the story, but he did believe the words of Anne Frank were genuine and the picture was not fake, for no one would purposely do that to themself. He also stated that it did not matter who was in the pictures because people should not be treated that way, even if they were an enemy. The other students reacted positively to the guy's statement and came to a consensus the Holocaust, at the very least, was something they could consider having happened.
I had not completely changed the students' opinions, but I had at least affected a change. The students respected me enough to eventually see I was not trying to "trick" them, but rather was trying to help them think outside their world.
I then thought about what had been presented to me by the speaker. I finally understood enough to think outside my own limitations. I knew I did have the ability to move others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"God has taught you that which you knew not in the past."(Qur'an 2:239)
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
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