Tag: fear

Qualities of Friendship

Below is a list of traits one would like to find in a friend:

  1. joyful
  2. helpfulcaring
  3. creative
  4. spontaneous
  5. humble
  6. courageous
  7. fearless
  8. brave
  9. leader
  10. caring
  11. good listener
  12. gentle
  13. merciful
  14. just
  15. honest
  16. faithful
  17. sympathetic
  18. fun
  19. fair
  20. understanding
  21. sensitive
  22. accepting
  23. sensible
  24. responsible
  25. prudent
  26. non-judgmental
  27. generous
  28. giving
  29. sharing
  30. peacemaker
  31. knowledgeable
  32. good-looking
  33. athletic
  34. loving
  35. smart
  36. in control
  37. funny
  38. talkative
  39. soft-spoken
  40. kind
  41. patient
  42. helpful
  43. polite
  44. interesting
  45. nice
  46. self-controlled
  47. energetic
  48. nurturing
  49. supportive
  50. wise

Write a post in your iblog about the 3-5 traits you really look for in a friend. Prioritize your list and explain why you want friends to have certain traits.

Ecology of the Heart

Throughout Laudato Si, Pope Francis returns to the contrast between dominion and domination, of stewardship andownership. He tells us that our concern for the planet is an empty one if it does not take into account ourr responsibility and obligation to our poorest and least acknowledged neighbor. Our call is not to make things better for us, but for everyone. Since God is creator of all, God loves all. So must we.

Ponder
How can I become selfless enough to call everyone I meet a brother or sister?

Pray
God of creation, it is not always easy to see you in others. When people are downright nasty and hard to help, give me a heart to see through their anger and fear to your grace shining in them.

RS 25/35: Remember the Titans Assignment

Introduction:

Read  Unequal Access: Canadian Race Relations

Canadians tend to think that racism is more prevalent in the United States, but not so much in Canada.  The above report seems to say otherwise.

Questions:  (answer three of the following)

  1. What is your reaction to the above information?  Did anything surprise you?  If so, what?  If not, why not?  Do you agree with the information presented in the report?  Take a position on the report (believability, reliability, etc) and provide support for your position from your experiences or research.  If you do not deem these statistics convincing and valid, then what other explanation is there besides racism that might explain the information provided in the report?
  2. Read Galatians 3:26 – 28 and Matthew 20:1-16. You can use oremus Bible Browser to help you.   Explain what implications these texts have regarding racism.  Explain how the statistics reported in the above article Canadian Race Relations might change if these scripture texts were taken seriously.
  3. What can the story of the 1971 Titans teach us about our world today, especially in relation to race relations in the wake of 9/11 or even more recently the ISIS (ISIL) threat?  Since the events of 2001, does our country treat Muslims according to Christians values?  Read the article CBC Discrimination poll to find out how Muslims are treated in Canada.
  4. Gerry Bertier tells Julius in the hospital after being in a car accident, “I was afraid of you, Julius. I don’t understand what I was afraid of. Now I only know I was only hating my brother.“ Does prejudice stem from fear? Explain your response providing evidence.  Is racism and/or  prejudice and/or bigotry a learned behavior?  Explain your response providing evidence from personal experience or from research.  Here is an interesting article (Children learn attitudes about race at home) about racism as a learned behaviour.
  5. At the beginning of the film, before training camp, we hear the line; “He’s just another blessed child in God’s loving family.” At the end of the film, we are told to “Trust the soul of a man, not his look.” Both of these are good sentiments, if they are spoken with sincerity. However, in the film, the first is spoken sarcastically.   Even though it is spoken using sarcasm, is this a truth according to Galatians 3:26 – 28 and Romans 8:14? You can use oremus Bible Browser to help you find out. What exactly does, “Trust the soul of a man, not his look”, mean?  Explain.

The rubric titled Movie Study Assignment Rubric located on the pages at the left will be used to grade this assignment.

 

Tonglen

Tibetan Buddhists have a visualization practice called tonglen. This is a way of awakening the compassion that lies within all people, as well as a way of overcoming the fear of suffering.

Try practicing tonglen yourself. Think of a person with a specific problem like sickness, greed, or meanness. Try to pick a person you don’t especially like. Close your eyes. Imagine that you are lifting this problem out of his or her body and taking it into your own body, where it is destroyed.

How did your attempt at tonglen feel? Do you think that practicing it often would change your attitude to the person you chose? Explain.

Shiva Nataraj

Shiva is one of the primary figures in Hinduism. He is often shown as Shiva Nataraj, or “Shiva, King of Dancers.” Everything in this image has a meaning. Shiva is shown with four arms, one for each of the cardinal directions. He dances with his left foot raised. His right food rests on a figure that represents illusion and ignorance. In his upper right hand he holds a drum that stands for the male-female principle. His lower right hand makes a gesture that means, “Be without fear.” Snakes, which stand for the ego, are seen uncoiling from his arms, legs, and hair. The skull on his head stands for his conquest over death. He is placed within an arch of flames; these stand for the endless cycle of birth and death.

Shiva’s right food is on illusion and ignorance. What is the symbolism of this pose?