Community Respect Statement

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

In this space, you and I are free to feel and speak, and free to be safe and heard.

I define safety as the freedom to exist with dignity and without fear.

I also believe we are each responsible for our own feelings and emotional responses. Although my intention is never to offend or upset and I will always choose my language with care and compassion, I will also be sharing things from my own perspective and experience, which may differ form yours. Working through these differences collaboratively is an important part of being in community.

A wholehearted commitment to St. Francis of Assisi’s wisdom to “seek first to understand, then to be understood” will be a guiding principle both in what I share and what I expect from those who choose to contribute to the community here.
I may disable comments on some posts in order to minimize the potential for interactions that may require a higher level of responsible moderation than I am able to provide.
I may also vet comments for content at my discretion; offensive or discriminatory language will not be permitted under any circumstances.

The data is in, and heated conversations are best served in person to person interaction. As the old hymn goes, gather your people!