May 2003

Innovation Tips

…ideas to help you foster collaborative genius

=========================================

Dialogue—The Heart of Community

Few men personify the value and purpose of dialogue better than the influential Jewish theologian and scholar, Martin Buber. Many remember him best for his book, I and Thou, the title of which succinctly expresses the essential message of the book: When we regard another as “Thou” rather than as “it,” we have entered into a sacred relationship of dialogue.

Buber was attracted to Eastern and Christian mysticism and to Hasidic Judaism because of their emphasis on a spiritual union with God. He admired the Hasidic commitment to creating a society that truly lived by faith in God—a commitment Buber regarded as “the greatest phenomenon in the history of the Spirit.”

Real dialogue, as when the I-Thou attitude is present, is the centerpiece of enlivened community. For Buber, the relationships formed in dialogue generate holiness and justice in the world. People honor and respect one another; they set their own personal agendas aside to truly listen and attend to another. In these liberating and evolving conversations of daily life, the very Spirit of the living God seems present, for “Every Thou is a glimpse through to the eternal Thou.”

By contrast, I-it relationships stifle community. They are manipulative and calculated for personal gain. I-it conversations imprison the soul and suffocate the Spirit; they engender mistrust and deception.

True dialogue requires a high level of authenticity—“essential courage,” as Buber called it. For real dialogue to occur there can be no hidden agendas. People must bring honesty and candor to the conversation and listen fully without judgment or distraction. A life of dialogue generates passion and reverence.

Buber reminds us all, every individual and every organization, that dialogue is at the very heart of community. Where dialogue thrives, the soul truly comes to life.

(This is the fifth in a series of articles on the theme: “Bringing the Soul to Life.” Much of the material in this article was drawn from the book, Contemporary Theologians, by James J. Bacik.)

________________________________________

INNOVATION TIPS is a monthly letter provided by

PARTNERS for INNOVATION.

To subscribe, please register at our web site: www.greatwing.com.

To unsubscribe, please reply with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject box.

We can be reached by e-mail at: partners@greatwing.com or by phone at 1.419.872.7140

Copyright (c) 2002, Partners for Innovation. Permission

is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute INNOVATION

TIPS provided that this copyright notice and full

information about contacting the authors are attached.