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Dialogue and reflexivity...

I am reflecting on a very stimulating conversation I had with a student of mine at coffee today...It was a filled out room, there were other familiar faces, and the tables were situated pretty close by, so we had to somewhat monitor how loud we could get, and also watch our language/content somewhat, given the setting and our topic "Reflexivity, the postcolonial moment, dialogue, and proselytizing missions." This was an extension of an earlier class discussion where I had noted that "I feel more violated when someone is trying to convert me religiously than when a right wing republican says something really offensive about one of my ideals." The discussion in class was fruitful but for the sake of time, we had to move ahead to other topics. Our coffee conversation today was beautiful as it recognized for me once again the potential for dialogue as transcendental...When we explored ideas such as faith, the limits it places on dialogue, the openings it creates for dialogue, and the possibilities of working through differences at the same time recognizing oneness...we found many common entry points...Entry points that made me think hard about my own position and that I know will stay with me for a long while...also reminded me of my conversation with my colleagues Bud Goodall and Kathy Miller on Facebook...I so miss these conversations with all the responsibilties of my bureaucratic functions...and am grateful for all these opportunities of learning and partaking in conversations that teach me new things, new ways of looking at the world, and new ways for appreciating difference!
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