Tried With Fire

This is a very transparent confession from Jonathan Walton in Twelve Lies That Hold America Captive , and it resonates strongly with me: When I sat in churches surrounded by those who didn't look like me, I was guarded in almost every way. I overexplained my thoughts because I feared being judged and misunderstood. I made sure to state my reasons for being presents and detailed my accomplishments and qualifications. My primary goal was not to fulfill what I judged to be their stereotypes of me... Moreover, I was suspicious when they shared traditionally liberal or conservative views, wondering what was on their reading lists, what podcasts they listened to, and what leaders developed and influenced them... I struggled to feel seen or heard and to trust them no matter how honest they were... Underneath my fear of being misunderstood and judged is my fear of rejection. So I rejected others first. This is false power... Paul takes it up another level by pressing for the intern...

I did an Internet search for the meaning of karma . Most of the results had the same basic definition -  cause and effect. You control the outcome by your actions, temporally and even eternally. At face value, there is a small grain of truth to this. If I live heedlessly beyond my means, there are serious consequences for my actions. I will run out of money and be impoverished. But I could be very frugal and save as much as I can. What if the stock market and banks collapse as they did in the 1920s? My frugality will not overcome the bad decisions of both people and institutions. My responsible actions don't have the power to overcome the irresponsibility of others especially those who wield more power and authority to begin with. Thus simplistic cause and effect doesn't take other players and forces into account. Job's friends fell into karma-like thinking. To them, Job's suffering was obviously the result of something he did that displeased God. Therefore, the ...