Global Integrators--11

First Love

Values that Guide and Goad GI

We think that the time is coming for a diversity of colleagues to come together intentionally, visibly, and practically on behalf of global integration (GI). GI put simply is how we skillfully integrate our lives and values on behalf of the issues facing humanity. Likewise we think that the time is coming for colleagues to carefully reflect and act on what it means to be good global learners-practitioners--to seriously consider what it means to be what we are calling global integrators (GI-People).

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This entry is definitely a work in progress...

GI at its core involves values. Core values. Not just good actions or recognized codes of practice or even human rights standards. But rather the underlying, deeply help moral convictions that motivate action, foster commitment, and priortize goals. Values that guide us and which goad us as Global Integrators. Values that reflect both desire and duty--and delight!  

I like to think of the core of the core of these values as our First Love. It is our highest good and our core existential belief which shapes and supports us, our work, and our world. GI would never be the same without core values. And core values would never be the same without our First Love.

Listed below are five of my core of the core values--First Love--that guide me and goad me as a growing Global Integrator who is a committed Christian. It is helpful to make them explicit as they are deeply ingrained with who I am, my identity. They also are a reflection of the "faith-based" influence on personal and organizational involvement in the secularized humanitarian/development sectors.

 1. Shema+. Love the one Lord God with everything that you are (Deuteronomy 6:4,5)

2. Agape. Love never ceases (I Corinthians 13:8)

3. LTP. Loving truth and peace at all levels of relationship (Zechariah 8:19).

4. GloballeluYHWH (Global-alleluia-Yahweh).That God may be known and loved, and praised by all peoples. 

5. TBA...something like personal transformation as well as public transformation as a core component of well-being for all people and the planet...something like character and virtue...something like the necessity to explicitly consider moral measures, moral motivations, moral means, etc. as per the example of the current papal encyclical on climate change...

Note though that values--my values--often get mixed up with other, well, lesser values (motives/commitments/goals--mocogo) which I don't usually like to admit or show to others and which I am sure are often under the radar of my own self-surveillance. Some of these less noble examples: self-interest (what's in it for me?), convenience (could it interfere with my lifestyle?), fear (what would people say or think?), getting attention and getting people to like me (am I really special and important?) etc.  

So, staying in tune with such a "mocogo mix" is a good idea as Global Integrators seek to let their First Love shape and support their GI involvement. And making one's First Love explicit is also a good idea, knowing that there are a variety of world views whose pathways can lead to similar core values and core of the core values.