Helpful Hints
When in doubt, choose to err on the side which will do the least harm to the individual. And work to maintain privacy at all levels, even professional to professional. ReligiousTolerance.org has given us this to consider: Where many belief systems differ from each other and science has input, and where there is a significant chance of death to an individual, perhaps that dogma might be reevaluated.
Physician, heal thyself was meant as a taunt, hurled at Jesus unjustly by his accusers; when it’s hurled at us, imperfect as we are, we often dislike looking inside ourselves for any kernel of truth. Perhaps we can recognize that none of us are perfect, and that will help us in coming together we can heal ourselves to better heal the world. And to come together, we nead to reach out in love, overcome our fear of our differences to get to understanding. This, while cultivating patience and forgiveness, noticing with gentle good humor and that our fellow travelers are, equally human.
A good rule of thumb to ask before offering criticism might be “will this help, or heal?” or as one is taught to ask in the Middle East, whether your words will be as beautiful as the sound of the wind, blowing over desert sands. Consider the advice of Gandhi, that we might discern the true motivation of our action in noticing whether it will be of any help to the last and least. It’s a humble reminder that we all see things given our own perspectives, through a glass, darkly.
