Reflection. Want to Increase Curiosity and Understanding?

Episode 88.   

This episode is in memory of the passengers and crew of the DC and Philadelphia plane crashes and my friend Karen Hirschfeld. May their memories be for a blessing.

This is the first of a new Reflection series. They will be short monthly episodes, opportunities to share my thoughts about recent episodes, things I’ve written or read and whatever else seems relevant. 

Highlights:

·      Explanation of the new reflection series format.

·      Criticism of Project 2025 and current administration’s dismantling of the federal government. 

·      Comments on White Christian Nationalism and White Supremacy concerns.

·      Focus on spheres of influence and readiness to act.

·      Four practical suggestions for increasing understanding of others.

Bio

I am a public scholar and interreligious leader with a keen interest in understanding the nature of similarities and differences––especially religious and cultural.  The Talking with God Project is currently my main focus, and I am actively expanding its reach through workshops, articles, panels, talks and a podcast.  

Raised in the Boston area, I have lived in Seattle, WA and Berlin, Germany, before returning to Boston in 2017.  Carving out a varied educational and professional path, I hold a B.A. in Fine Art from Oberlin College (1984), an M.B.A. from Northeastern University (1997), a Certificate in Coaching from the International Coach Academy (2015), and a Master of Jewish Liberal Studies (MJLS) from Hebrew College with a focus on Global Interreligious Studies (2019).  Professionally, I have worked as a business manager, an art dealer and founder of Solomon Fine Art gallery, language trainer, text editor, business coach and now public scholar and podcaster. 

Though raised in an interfaith non-observant home. my Conservative Jewish practice and wide range of personal and professional experiences inform my research and life.

Transcript on Buzzsprout

Social Media links for Méli:
Website – Talking with God Project

NEW Substack posts

Méli's Email – info@talkingwithgodproject.org

LinkedIn – Meli Solomon

Facebook – Meli Solomon

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The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise:  Is your way similar or different?  Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore?  Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet. 

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Transcript

Reflection Feb. transcript

Want to Increase Curiosity and Understanding?

Méli Solomon [00:00:05]:

Hello, and welcome to Living Our Beliefs, a home for open conversations with fellow Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Through personal stories and reflection, we explore how our religious traditions show up in daily life. I am your host, Meli Solomon. So glad you could join us. This podcast is part of my Talking with God Project. To learn more, check out the link in the show notes. This episode is in memory of the passengers and crew of the DC and Philadelphia plane crashes, as well as my friend Karen Hirschfeld. May their memories be for a blessing.

Méli Solomon [00:00:48]:

This is the first of a new reflection series. They will be short monthly episodes, opportunities to share my thoughts about recent episodes, things I've written or read, and whatever else seems relevant. In my recent blog post, countering hate with curiosity, now posted on Substack, I expressed my objection to the changes brought in by the current administration. Specifically, I object to the Project 2025, mostly for its inhumanity and cruelty, which hardly reflect the Christian teachings the evangelical Republicans purport to believe in. Not to mention the shocking steps the current administration is taking to dismantle the federal government. I refuse to accept their viewpoint or give up on the promise of America. The freedoms enshrined in the Constitution have not been fully realized but remain worth fighting for. Also, white Christian nationalists and white supremacists seem fearful of losing their supremacy, but that is really not at risk.

Méli Solomon [00:02:04]:

White Christians, especially men, remain fully in power. So how to respond? For those of us on the proposed losing end of Project 2025 and the broader White Christian National agenda, the challenges can seem overwhelming. So I think we need to focus and strategize on our sphere of influence, then be ready to act when the opportunity to make changes appear. In thinking about the polarization so prevalent these days, I think about fear, how our minds can expand a real concern way beyond the current reality or even what's probable or possible. I don't know about you, but my mind can spin out in thirty seconds from a fleeting idea to absolute disaster. This is clearly not helpful. Don't get me wrong. There are real concerns, real injustices and real tragedies, But we need to also keep grounded and not let our imagined what ifs get the better of us.

Méli Solomon [00:03:12]:

There are enough actual challenges in the world without creating more. The point is to operate at the level of your impact. Each one of us has a sphere of influence and it's ours to utilize or not. Most of us don't work at a national or international level, but we each have personal relationships. So I encourage each of us to turn the fear of something you don't know, something that you imagine, someone that you think has done you wrong, and to ask some relevant questions. What kind of world do you want to live in? How can you use the resources and influence that you have to impact the world that you live in? How can you contribute in a positive way to the community? I, for one, use my energy and resources to learn about those I don't understand, in particular in a religious context, but also in other ways, you know, the racial divide and the socioeconomic divide in our country, and do what I can to heal those gaps and right the injustices. What else can you do? I suggest four things to try. One, learn about other people and communities.

Méli Solomon [00:04:30]:

What is their history and worldview? For instance, my Living Our Beliefs podcast offers conversations 87 and counting, where you can learn about others and reflect on your own faith and practice. Two, talk with someone you don't know very well. Engaging with people who are different can be challenging, so building on the similarities and not overstretching is helpful. Start with one degree of difference. Build on the similarities. If you can take more action, be an ally, an upstander for others. Three, ask questions in order to learn, not to argue. Approach conversations with curiosity and respect.

Méli Solomon [00:05:18]:

Listen more than you speak. And four, treat others as you would like to be treated. None of us is perfect, but I think these are some basic approaches we can all use. In closing, I'll quote Rabbi Tarfon from the Ethics of the Fathers. It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it. With that, I leave you. Stay curious, keep learning, and take care of yourself and someone else. 

Méli Solomon [00:05:57]:

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Links to my email info@talkingwithgodproject.org and my posts on Substack are listed in the show notes. Thank you for listening. This podcast is an outgrowth of my Talking with God Project. If you'd like to learn more about that project, a link to the website is in the show notes. Thanks so much for tuning in. Till next time. Bye bye.