Open to Truth
“It’s me Papa.” The father, thinking it was a prank, turned him away. The father and son never saw one another.
We hear Hanh’s story and wonder how well we have been open to what comes before us through the years. It’s the same for all of us, parents, colleagues, neighbors, friends. We often find it hard to take in contrary ideas and changes around us. We would be wise to heed Hanh’s message.
As we age, we tend to hang on to ideas and beliefs when they have served us well. And as culture rapidly changes, we resist what’s unfamiliar. A simple example was the arrival of the cell phone. It has become ubiquitous throughout the world (for good and bad). To say that you will only use a landline is like Hahn turning away his son.
For a teacher to say she will only lecture to her students is like using a landline. School culture, despite its persistence, needs to open its velvet bag of the past and let go of methods that no longer connect with their students. As the world evolves, we all need to live in it with integrity inside it changes.
Something to think about.
