I've been thinking a lot recently about a phrase I've heard most of my life:
"In Essentials Unity, in Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity."
This phrase has been attributed to a number of people down through the centuries, including some speculation that Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) may have been the first one to use it. Most of the time I have heard this phrase used in the context of theological and spiritual frameworks, but I think it has much broader applications than that! I have too many thoughts about each of these layers to make them all fit into one message, so this will be the first of three messages, and we'll start with the first layer this week.
In Essentials Unity
When we think about what is actually essential, we quickly discover it's a short list! For example, what is essential for life? Food, water, safety. Anything else? What is essential for a loving relationship? Mutual respect, commitment, a desire to serve. What else?
See what I mean? When we start thinking about what is actually essential, the list gets pretty small, pretty quick. These are the kind of things we see listed in documents like The Declaration of Independence or various Constitutions around the world. Essentials are the items in the mission statements of nonprofits and service organizations. They are the basic core realities of what define and shape us as a group, things we can all agree (Unity) are vital to our functionality, whether we are a family, a team, a religion, or a country.
Whenever I meet with a new group to engage in group coaching or I am working with a team on developing their collaborative synergy, this is Essential work we must do - talk about the basics of what we agree will help to guide us. For example, in a group coaching setting we will go through an exercise of setting our agreed upon ground rules for our time together (confidentiality, how we are going to manage discussion, time boundaries, etc.). These become our Essentials that help to Unite and guide us. By focusing and agreeing on these Essentials, we create the space for diving into areas that may require more wrestling and even disagreement (more on that next week). When we have Unity in Essentials, it creates a strong foundation from which we can work, collaborate, and create together.
As you think about the various groups and teams you are part of, what do you think are the Essentials for that group? How short could you make that list? What do you think the impact would be if you were able to name the Essentials together and be really clear about them? "This is the bottom line of what unites us together!" What would it take to also protect that short list and use it as a reminder for your ongoing work together?
Here's to finding Unity in Essentials this week!
Be Well,
Stephen
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