Healing With(in)Healing With(in)

Presenter:Presenter:

Ty RaganTy Ragan

What is the Root?What is the Root?

• Change is the rootChange is the root

• Response is the causeResponse is the cause

• Each change whether good or bad brings Each change whether good or bad brings us into a grief cycleus into a grief cycle

The Gall BladderThe Gall Bladder

The Gall BladderThe Gall Bladder

• The gallbladder is a small pouch The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile produced gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver. After meals, the by the liver. After meals, the gallbladder is empty and flat, like gallbladder is empty and flat, like a deflated balloon. Before a meal, a deflated balloon. Before a meal, the gallbladder may be full of bile the gallbladder may be full of bile and about the size of a small and about the size of a small pear.pear.

• In response to signals, the In response to signals, the gallbladder squeezes stored bile gallbladder squeezes stored bile into the small intestine through a into the small intestine through a series of tubes called ducts. Bile series of tubes called ducts. Bile helps digest fats, but the helps digest fats, but the gallbladder itself is not essential. gallbladder itself is not essential. Removing the gallbladder in an Removing the gallbladder in an otherwise healthy individual otherwise healthy individual typically causes no observable typically causes no observable problems with health or digestion problems with health or digestion yet there may be a small risk of yet there may be a small risk of diarrhea and fat malabsorption.diarrhea and fat malabsorption.

Gall Bladder (Teduray)Gall Bladder (Teduray)

• A Bad Gall Bladder is the terminology A Bad Gall Bladder is the terminology the Teduray people used to state a the Teduray people used to state a wrong against community and/or the wrong against community and/or the bitterness that grows in an bitterness that grows in an individual.individual.

Key WordsKey Words

• Reconciliation-from Latin Reconciliation-from Latin reconciliāre reconciliāre  to  to bring together again, from re-  + bring together again, from re-  + conciliāre conciliāre  to make friendly, conciliate  to make friendly, conciliate

• Forgiveness-to cancel an indebtedness or Forgiveness-to cancel an indebtedness or liability

• Bitterness-hard to Bitterness-hard to bearbear; grievous; ; grievous; distressful; causing pain; piercing; distressful; causing pain; piercing; stinging; characterized by intense stinging; characterized by intense antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred. antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred.

• What do we hope to achieve?What do we hope to achieve?

How: PresenceHow: Presence

• To heal the Gall Bladder we need to To heal the Gall Bladder we need to be aware and present within the be aware and present within the moments of life.moments of life.

• U Movement 7 Core CapacitiesU Movement 7 Core Capacities– -See Hand Out—-See Hand Out—– On the journey of change we experience On the journey of change we experience

these steps, when we are present we can these steps, when we are present we can understand what is happening and why.understand what is happening and why.

What do we hope to What do we hope to Achieve?Achieve?

• Bitterness, Forgiveness & Bitterness, Forgiveness & Reconciliation are each a very Reconciliation are each a very separate healingseparate healing

• Communal & IndividualCommunal & Individual

• Process?Process?

• Reception, Truth & ReconciliationReception, Truth & Reconciliation

• Present at each step through the “U”Present at each step through the “U”

ReceptionReception

• Father Jovito Araujo struck the Father Jovito Araujo struck the Receptio, Truth & Reconciliation Receptio, Truth & Reconciliation commission in East Timorcommission in East Timor

• Why?Why?

• Luke 15: The Prodigal SonLuke 15: The Prodigal Son

• Both sides welcome one another backBoth sides welcome one another back

• Who will be the son/father?Who will be the son/father?

TruthTruth

• The Healing Cirlces lend themselves The Healing Cirlces lend themselves to the full processto the full process

• Without judgment we hear the story Without judgment we hear the story of all sides, the space of welcome is of all sides, the space of welcome is created at the reception.created at the reception.

Rabbit Trail: ForgivenessRabbit Trail: Forgiveness

• Is forgiveness necessary for Is forgiveness necessary for reconciliation?reconciliation?

• What is Gospel forgiveness?What is Gospel forgiveness?

• Matthew 25: 31-46Matthew 25: 31-46

• Roman prisons: nothing provided during Roman prisons: nothing provided during time served, up to families to care, time served, up to families to care, upon release no record followsupon release no record follows

• Which is harder: forgiving self or others?Which is harder: forgiving self or others?

ReconciliationReconciliation

• Ellis Cose’s Ellis Cose’s Bone to PickBone to Pick or Desmond Tutu’s God or Desmond Tutu’s God has a Dream & No Future without Forgiveness has a Dream & No Future without Forgiveness excellent resourcesexcellent resources

• Vietnam; South Africa; Residential Schools; East Vietnam; South Africa; Residential Schools; East Timor to name but a few have used or are using a Timor to name but a few have used or are using a process of reconciliation.process of reconciliation.

• Main thrust of the “Healing Circle”Main thrust of the “Healing Circle”

• To sit with the story; admit it is past; and plan To sit with the story; admit it is past; and plan HOW to move forward as one.HOW to move forward as one.

Reconciliation: CommunalReconciliation: Communal

• Communally seen in rituals such as: Communally seen in rituals such as: – 12 steps12 steps– Healing CirclesHealing Circles– Restorative JusticeRestorative Justice– Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday– Confession/Reconciliation ServicesConfession/Reconciliation Services– AlmsAlms– Eucharist/Lord’s Supper/CommunionEucharist/Lord’s Supper/Communion

Reconciliation: IndividuallyReconciliation: Individually

• Harder withinHarder within

• How to create tangible ritual for self?How to create tangible ritual for self?– Dead Letter OfficeDead Letter Office– Bonfire of JournalsBonfire of Journals– How to metaphorically remove the “Bad How to metaphorically remove the “Bad

Gall Bladder” (Bitterness)Gall Bladder” (Bitterness)– Reconciliation cannot happen if you sit Reconciliation cannot happen if you sit

with bitternesswith bitterness

BitternessBitterness

• Actions create bitterness inside and Actions create bitterness inside and out (Bad Gall Bladder)out (Bad Gall Bladder)

• It is not forgiveness to be soughtIt is not forgiveness to be sought

• Release of bitterness allows for Release of bitterness allows for forward movement that can be forward movement that can be forgiveness, but more importantly forgiveness, but more importantly reconciling your past with your reconciling your past with your present and moving forward.present and moving forward.

RitualRitual

• Primates are a ritual speciesPrimates are a ritual species

• Even great apes, orangutans and Even great apes, orangutans and chimpanzees create altars for grief chimpanzees create altars for grief and milestonesand milestones

• We need to recapture the ritual for We need to recapture the ritual for change in our own lives individually change in our own lives individually and corporately.and corporately.

What are your rituals?What are your rituals?

Crayola Prayer 1Crayola Prayer 1

• ReceptionReception– Take some time to slow your breathTake some time to slow your breath– Open your mind and soul to what has Open your mind and soul to what has

gone beforegone before– Let the colours move on your pageLet the colours move on your page– This is the underlying emotion coming This is the underlying emotion coming

out.out.

Crayola Prayer 2Crayola Prayer 2

• Take time tonight or this week to sit Take time tonight or this week to sit with your picturewith your picture

• Do you accept the truth in your storyDo you accept the truth in your story• How are you going to release your How are you going to release your

story?story?– Shredded and let blow awayShredded and let blow away– BurnBurn– Mail without address so it stays buriedMail without address so it stays buried– Other?Other?

ClosingClosing

• Story of FriendsStory of Friends

• Sharing of the TableSharing of the Table