881 Words

Sacred Group Retreats to Make Change

By Douglas D. Germann, Sr.

c Copyright 2004, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

There is a power that shows up when a committed group of people gathers. You have seen it: something clicks, something flows, enthusiasm grows, and soon something unexpected happens. Something good and surprising.

How do you consciously tap into this power?

My experience is that you cannot command it, you cannot give it a schedule. This something--call it spirit or even Spirit--blows where and when it will.

What you can do, however, is invite. And open.

What that means on a practical level is that you gather elements--seeds, water, air, earth and fire--and you provide space, as much of it as possible, for divinity to happen. So it requires trust, but only a little, for we know that when invited, Spirit comes.

The seeds are people and their hopes, fears, desires, passions, ideas: all highest and best you have. Earth is grounds and great outdoors: choose a retreat setting that will allow people to get out in nature, for many these days see God in nature.

Air is fresh air to breathe. We need oxygen and all trace gasses in order for our brains to work and our spirits to fructify. Fire is sunlight--plenty of windows and maybe even a skylight or two so we can see a larger world, reach to touch stars.

Water: we told we are 98% water; still, we know more than our minds can know when we walk or sit by a sparkling brook or a quiet lake. Seek out a place which has water.

It is not all setting, however. There is work to be done. We invite and open in very invitation we send to our people. We want everybody there who feels strongly enough about change we want to see and be in world to accept responsibility to act. So our invitation needs to touch sparkling places in these people. It needs to be specific as to change, yet open to widest possibilities. For instance, "The role of St. John Church in Future of Homelessness;" or "Improving Senior Healthcare in Manitowoc."

My experience is first hand. I dated many Asian ladies and have heard comments. If we frequent a typical American club, I have had my dates threaten by American women in restroom. In time, Asian clubs sprung up in United States. At an Asian club, American women are welcome. I have never seen an American lady being threaten by Asians in a typical Asian club. It just isn’t their nature. The crowd in these clubs are usually Asian ladies and American men.

There are many Asian ladies in U.S., especially from Philippines. A lot of these ladies arrived via meeting an American G.I. I really don’t know percentage, but there is no doubt that most Filipina ladies have a military connection in some way. They met in Philippines, got married, and came to United States with their military husband. Consequently, you’ll meet Asian ladies in clubs who are married. If you mingle with Asian ladies that frequent clubs for any length of time, you will eventually meet ladies who are unfaithful. This unfaithfulness is how Filipina ladies are branded as whores by American women. This doesn’t carry same stigma for American women who may do same. Hypocrisy is always evident when behaviors of two cultures are compared.

What American GI has discovered is now catching on with non-military men. Asian dating sites have sprung up all over internet. Some of these sites try to exploit Asians’ sexuality. However, there are many Asian ladies who want to meet a sincere gentlemen for a relationship. As attractive as Asian ladies may be, American men are also captivated by Asians’ behavior towards men. A man’s dream of having a wife who wants to please him, appreciates his love and treasures his efforts in making a home seems to have been found by American men in Asian culture. You’ll hear American men call these values “traditional values” because at one time these were values that held American family together.

The tired argument about these women being a servant to their husband, is one sided. Do these women like serving their husband? Yes, most do. But not as slaves. They are not forced to do so, but have desire to please their man out of appreciation and love. These ladies are doing what they want to do. I repeat, they WANT to please their man, do things for him and show their appreciation. In turn, these men are happy, want to provide for their wife and have no desire to look elsewhere for this appreciation. It’s chemistry that once prevailed many years ago in United States and has been lost in myriad of women rights in American society.