Joshua

with F. Murray Abraham

Viewed January 19, 2008

The discussion tonight revolved largely around love: how can we give love to others who really tick us off; is it more loving to tell the whole truth or to sometimes withhold a little if it's "not that important"; how can we be more unconditionally loving; and is it really a good idea, or even achievable, to try to be unconditionally loving?

In discussing unconditional love, we all agreed that it's important to have limits of some sort in relationships, but had different opinions about whether unconditional love could include limits. Someone said that he liked the idea of wishing someone well while still wanting to be separate and protected from them, like the rabbi in the "Fiddler on the Roof," who when asked to give a blessing for the Tsar, said, "May the Lord bless and keep the Tsar.... far away from us!"
(This video was reviewed by Bob)

Feel free to come and share your own personal insights sometime; the Saturday Night Video and Discussions here in Austin, Texas are a lot of fun and fascinating. (They're free, too.) Here are the questions the group came up with, based on the personal growth themes in the movie:

JOSHUA

  1. How have I been healed when I've been broken?
  2. Where in my life have I had to tear something down to rebuild it?
  3. How do I fill the emptiness in my life/heart? How could I do it better?
  4. How have I created/found the community that I want to be a part of?
  5. How have I touched others' lives? How have they touched mine?
  6. What about religion ticks me off?
  7. When do I react out of fear, and how could it have been different if I had reacted out of love?
  8. What keeps me from taking responsibility for my own life?
  9. What stops me from telling myself and others the truth?