"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of
you is a part of it."
1st Corinthians 12: 27
Living out the Story
There is something about this time
of year in Upstate New York. Change seems to be in the wind as the last
glorious days of summer wane as the rustle of leaves portend Autumn. An unexpected visitor sat on our neighbor's
fence with one talon up and one down, so
large we mistook him for an owl then
realized he was a raptor. For some time our visitor perched, watched, turned
his head as black-capped Chickadees buzzed nearby and was still, quite, and
patient. Moving to the top of a tall
wire fence he perched there looking first to the right and then to the left,
there a silhouette against the afternoon sky and changing light. When he flew away three times
larger magnificent and regal, our visitor told his story.
He must be passing through our
woods. Who knows where he came form or where he is going nor how long he might
stay nearby. The raptor was a gift of summer and a reminder of the changes to
come, the bounty of the Autumn harvest, the cold of Winter, the new Spring.
As students and educators move
into the new academic year, the changes in Education and in Higher Education
present challenges for both success and integrity in both teaching and
learning. We demand much of our students and more of our educators. Social Media changes access to information
and to personal information which allows unprecedented opportunity for
hurtfulness and personal attack. Has the
definition of integrity changed? The tacit rules of Web2 take ownership of
ideas (in some ways) away from authors because if it can be freely found on the
web; it can be shared with or without citation and recognition of authorship. I
wonder if our perception of integrity is changing.
However, the real matter at hand
is the ability to discuss publicly the important ideas of our time. Are our
opinions, ideas, queries, speculations, debates in danger of disenfranchisement
of our ability to debate publically and to truly discuss and share reasoned
ideas? As citizens we inherited an agreement to accept the rules of living
together in a democratic republic. Reasoned debate, integrity of ideas, and
actions seem a bit confused by the insecurity ofWeb2's freedom. It seems
"the times, they are a-changing".
At St. David's in our recent
past, we have said farewell to long time members, buried them and sung
blessings in memory. We welcome new folks and prepare for changes as we grow
and take care of our gifts, our talents, and our resources. Just as our visitor
is moving through, we will also be making changes as
we move through our
time, confront changes, and live out Our Story. mba
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New
International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan,
1964
