DEED

 

"Deed above Creed" 

This is a favorite adage of Ethical Culture, pointing toward our engagement in social justice action on Earth, rather than involving ourselves in belief systems or dogma. DEED emerges as word of great value for Ethicalists, and for good reason. Much history of human progress has come from the good deeds of human beings, no doubt. Not all good intentions have had positive impacts, however we humble ourselves to learn. Mitigating this awareness of harm done historically in the name of good deeds, we may see the need for grounding deed-life in humility, deep listening, awareness practices and evaluative wonder -- sometimes even stillness.  Since the Covid 19 Pandemic, and with the wise council of Dr. Nori Rost and Coming of Age coach Sarah Tielemans, we have deepened our Youth programming to prioritize what we embrace as THE DEED OF BEING & BECOMING. 

The DEED of BEING refers to a rooting process for participants to gain strong somatic and cognitive grounding skills and insights, from which they may more mindfully put their actions into the world. 

The DEED of BECOMING refers to the process of self care.  It is supported through the offering of a sense of meta-cognition that can help youth understand their body and brain developmentally, as well as helping them guide theirselves and others through life's questions, changes, mysteries and wonders.  The bridge toward metabolizing an overwhelming world is built here, and with reflection and depth of grounding, can lead to... the DEED of DOING.

In the DEED of DOING, youth may identify a passion project to which they would like to contribute their energy and effort. They may identify a concern in the world that arouses their heart and mind, dive deep into understanding the issue through inquiry and research,  and begin to think in solution-oriented ways about it. They may team up with others in their group and their community to gain collaborative strength. Ultimately they can share their path, as an inquiry-guided quest, through presentation.