Looking Ahead, Peeking Back

What’s gonna happen this week at Tov Unleashed, where all the conversations are civil and the people kind?

We will have a conversation about the four drives of toxic leaders (leaving room next week for the drives of tov leaders). These drives are not so much insidious as they are unrecognized, even by the leaders. Join us. Then I want to have a conversation about that “sense of entitlement” so much a part of our culture — at many levels. Some people are born into entitlement and are nurtured and educated to think they have earned it. Join us. Wednesday we look at this theme: the action of Zacchaeus, his generosity beyond expectation, was not uncommon in the Bible and is not uncommon among Christians. Then we turn on Thursday to a book I have that has just come out about the 5 Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew. Friday we will take a final look at bishops and elders and deacons in the earliest churches — what they did and what the texts say (and don’t say).

What happened last week? We looked five options for leaders in their use of power. We’ve all got power; it matters what we do with it. Anger — is it justified? Is revenge the right way to go with anger? Martha Nussbaum’s comments about anger have some great possibilities. We also had a conversation again about privilege — and I get it that some are just plain tired of that conversation. But, friends, we need to think about this longer than one month in one year. We need to ponder its power and what we can do with the powers of privilege. Then we looked at our final post about Gardner Taylor on integrity and holiness. I really enjoyed this series about Taylor. Bishops and Elders and Deacons and what they did was a conversation last week.

I remain grateful for all of you who subscribe so you can participate in these conversations. The absence of trolls and the departure from Facebook for the conversations has been a godsend for this professor.