JULY - Dignity & Inclusion

  Illustration by Miki Howenstein
  (From page 212 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

The concepts of dignity and inclusion are necessarily intertwined, for those who are excluded from a circle of any kind lose their sense of dignity and their feeling of being worthy as human beings. Correspondingly, those who experience a defense of worthiness feel as if they are a part of something bigger—a group which they value, the larger society, or feel a strong connection to nature or a spiritual discipline……
Author’s Comment: This is a toughie. Including the excluded extends to them a needed sense of dignity. Yet, they also need to make an effort to “fit in” with the purpose of the group. Jesus is a grand example of welcoming anybody willing to try living out the values he held dear. And these outcasts came to treasure themselves in the process. What a powerful example!