Ground Rules

There's still some more ground work to be covered before this whole thing can proceed. One thing that still concerns me about this all is the idea of being completely honest at the risk of offending some and damaging relationships instead of fostering them. Motive and intent is definitely one thing that doesn't translate from the flow of electrons that make up the words on this screen to the minds of those devouring these said words. That actually concerns me a great deal. You see, I've already had some experience with the attempt to exchange ideas in the market place of independent thought and have had the best of intentions when this bartering was to be done, but quick to my dismay, I've found that the same words that were birthed from a truly honest place in my heart were met with hurt feelings and terse faces. My one desire is to build up, not to tear down. I long to become as transparent as possible so that we could possible help one another, not take bites out of each other at the risk of devouring ourselves. Making the internal monologue public domain is going to be a very risky proposition for myself or for anyone else either daring or dumb enough to try, but I long for the place where folks could peer inside of these words and realize the motive is true. I'll promise to anyone who cares that these words are NOT meant to belittle, right a wrong, put someone in place, settle a score, get back at, or anything else...they're simply a outflowing of a process that occurs within myself. I keep thinking of one of things that Tom told me over the past weekend when I asked him if he or the guys (Falling Up) were ever offended by this or that. His response was that as Christians we're called to overlook offenses...hmm. What an amazingly easy thing to say, but a most difficult thing to do. I'm not there yet, but this is definitely something that I'm working on. Anyone with me?