2 thoughts on “Memo

  1. It seems to me that this can be regarded as another statement on your previous post about meaning . I, too, do not like exercise. I find it meaningless. Not that it does not have any intrinsic value, just that it bores me to death. I am unable to appreciate it’s value, even though I understand that value on an intellectual level.

    On the other hand, I find Aikido to be extremely meaningful – not to mention frustrating, interesting, intriguing and exhausting. While at the same time, I acquire the exercise that I so detest. To my mind, this is similar to the dichotomy that Tripp is experiencing: How to provide meaning and context to worship, without rendering worship meaningless? I spent an awful lot of time this weekend trying to find how to connect myself to my Aikido partner’s “center” so that we would be unified, if only for a moment, only to discover that that connection varies from person to person. With each new training partner I had to start all over.

    Some people will need the didactic approach to gain understanding and thus meaning. Others will have an intuitive understanding and will be ready to move forward. So isn’t it a matter of technique? What works for one person may not work for another? And can one not “Meet people where they are”, rather than trying to fashion a service around the least common denominator? Or according to the “book”? Is there any reason that teaching and learning and worship aren’t the same thing?

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