Embracing a perspective that runs contrary to what we see as “fact” is not a natural function of our psyche. I offer here, a valuable tool for the sometimes-challenging task of accepting the hard-to-accept. This “device” was a gift from one of my favorite people. The Reverend James Ellenburg was the Pastor of my church some years back. His background of work in fabric mills and raising a family while answering the Call to the ministry and attending college gave him a delicious, earthy spice of perspective on life.
I enjoyed, immensely, watching him when he delivered a particularly bothersome point of instruction in a message. He would lean on the pulpit, look out across the congregation, and allow a slow, gentle, almost-impish grin to spread across his face. “I can see, by the redness on some of your faces, that you do not like what I am saying to you. That’s alright… you have the God-given and constitutionally-guaranteed right… to be… wrong.” He would then chuckle with an irresistible kindness that made his point even more profound.
Many times over the past years, I have used Jim Ellenburg’s humorous truth to cope with a challenging person in my path. “It’s O K, you have the right to be wrong.” silently spoken to myself, puts a smile on my face while defusing a potentially unpleasant moment. What makes it work is the imbedded truth that they do have “the right to BE” whoever they are. I can honor that even if I need a little humor to make it palatable.
IMAGES: Through the gracious courtesy of Ian Britton, FreeFoto.com
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