The Gifts Conversations
Had the opportunity yesterday to hear and chat with John McKnight from Northwestern’s Asset-Based Community Institute. He is the guru’s guru when it comes to community building. He is an amazing man of enormous wisdom and warmth. Here are some of the gems from his talk.
A gift you haven’t yet given is not a gift; a gift is only a gift if it’s shared
A community is strong to the degree that people are invited to give their gifts
In weak communities, people have been clientized and consumerized
The more needy people are, the weaker the community
The greatest need as a human being is not to receive, but the need to give one’s gifts
The richness of a community is the result of its hospitality
Hospitality is not service or charity, it’s the mutual readiness to receive and share gifts; it is not something one does to or for another, it is the exchange of whatever gifts we bring
The opposite of hospitality is the buying and selling of gifts
The opposite of citizen is client and consumer
Everyone in a community, without exception, has capacity for hospitality
October 3rd, 2007 18:46
on receiving (or everything is a gift)
.
.
i would love for each person to know deeply
the importance of receiving
.
because without a truly heartfelt receipt
the giving of a gift feels hollow
.
there’s nothing that feels better
than the feeling that arises
when witnessing someone express
true gratitude and heartfelt appreciation
in response to a gift that you gave
.
so to give the most precious gift
receive *everything* offered
with wonder, curiosity,
appreciation, and profound gratitude
.
.
.
— david (dec 22, 2006)
October 4th, 2007 22:46
Thanks David … beautiful