Lawrence Philbrook, Certified ToP Facilitator
Director, Institute of Cultural Affairs Taiwan 
www.icatw.com Tel: 8862-2871-3150 Fax: 8862-2871-2870
Skype: icalarry

President ICA International/ Member Global Leadership Team
ICAI Office c/o ICA Canada, 655 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON.  M4M 1G4 Canada
www.ica-international.org

One of things I have learned in my joureny with Native peoples is the power of the unique selves in any community.  I don't think that many of us in the Order took the time to "get to know" our brothers and sisters on the journey.  Yes, sometimes it happened, but there is a power in creating rituals and forums where we dive into the individual stories of survival, of uniqueness and of power.  There stories can be powerful teaching for all who listen and stand as witness.  Sometimes these stories, indeed, came out during daily office when one was the 5th litergist.  Overall, individuality was often suppressed for the "good of the whole/good of the Order"... except for all the times it wasn't.  That pattern created a large shadow of resentment.  A shadow some of us are still dancing with today.

Anyway, now, in this time, I think we as humans are continuing to learn the balance between honoring the self and honoring the whole.  I think we have many more skills now, 2012, then we did 20 to 40 years ago.  And so shall it be with our journeys... we seem to keep learning and that gives me great hope for our grandchildren.

Aho and Amen.
Jon Mark

 

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