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In Reply to: Re: Zerby got it wrong posted by Um...no... on December 20, 2003 at 04:34:53:
MG, you honor me too much. If I identified as a charismatic Christian, I'd say something like, "It's Christ among and within us."
My identity in this space and Movingon is primarily that of social worker. Even when being "just me," much of what I do & say is a consequence of my professional training. I adhere to a set of values and principles--an explicit code of ethics--that guide my actions and reactions. The practice of interpersonal respect largely stems from my clinical training in how to manage psychological boundaries.
To the extent that I can successfully embody the ideals of the social work vocation, I believe it has to do with spirituality. That is a topic for Journeys, where I constantly struggle to find language to express the mystery that enlightens and empowers me. I am getting somewhat more comfortable with using Christian idioms again, which I hope helps me connect better with people on this website.
Anyway, this whole thread made me a bit misty-eyed, so I felt the need to say something about who I think I am. TF encouraged and produced so many phoney, inauthentic personalities. The epitomy of this is a Movingon story about the victor camps where some poor kid was told to put on a permanent smile with paper clips and rubber bands. Since leaving TF, my spiritual path has been one of learning how to be authentically human--letting my outside self truly know and reflect what's on the inside, even when it seems ugly and shameful and even terrifying. Believe me, I don't always wear a beautiful, blissful smile.
