Often, it seems, a number of different thinkers are thinking and writing about related subjects – and – fortunately, from time to time, great results are yielded by collectively utilizing observations that come from several different points of view.
I believe that is the case as we strive to find our identity, our reason for being, our greatest desire.
In the words of Gerald G. May, M.D.*: Regardless of how we describe it, it is a longing for love. It is a hunger to love, to be loved, and to move closer to the Source of love. This yearning is the essence of the human spirit; it is the origin of our highest hopes and most noble desire. (1)
Mark Smith, describing the work and thinking of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, writes: Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor . . . groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. (http://www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm)
Or as Peter M. Senge** describes “learning organizations” – where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together. (3)
Concluding with a few more words from Dr. Gerald May: Grace is the most powerful force in the universe. It can transcend repression, addiction, and every other internal or external power that seeks to oppress the freedom of the human heart. Grace is where our hope lies. (4-5)
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