Have you ever answered the phone and thought that you were talking to a real person, but found out that you were talking to a recorded message machine? Who wouldn’t prefer to talk to a real person? Yet have you ever had the same experience with a real person? Have you ever heard someone present a memorized message on autopilot and suspected that they were not really listening to you any more than the corresponding machine on the phone? Don’t do this to other people. It is okay to listen to what people say and make a response based on what is actually said.

Do you assume that all tribes are monolithic? You could think of denominations or entire faith traditions the same way. Yet you know people in your own church who hold variations on your shared beliefs. Do you assume that those outside of your tradition or tribe are monolithic within their own tribe? They probably feel the same way about you, but the same arguments apply. Do you think of atheists as being monolithic? Yet even here there is considerable variation. Some are hopeful skeptics who hunger for a transcendent reality they have not yet encountered. Can you help them to find it?

What do you think of as  the source of meaning for all things? The natural tendency of people is to use themselves as a reference point. This results in a self-centered viewpoint, and makes the individual the measure of meaning of all things. Another term for this is narcissism. You know this is undesirable so what is the alternative? Are you prepared to accept that I create meaning for all things, including you? This perspective invites you to step aside as the center and the measure. It is the only way to see things as they really are.

Are you familiar with the teaching that a student is not greater than his master? This is not some obscure point of revelation; it should be obvious to a casual observer regardless of their level of spiritual discernment. I was referring to myself as the teacher but since the principled is universal it also applies when you are the teacher. Are you able to help others progress beyond your own level of spiritual formation? Do you see transformation as the goal of your own spiritual development? I told Peter to strengthen his brethren when he was converted.