Monday, November 15, 2004

Spiritual Mentors

Who are one's mentors? Are our mentors only those with whom we have an established relationship, where they are teacher/ parent/ pastor/ director/ boss/ official mentor?

Or, are our mentors those who have played a part in teaching us about life, about God, about relationships, faith, humanity, responsibility, etc?

If so, I have had many mentors in my increasingly long life. Some have been much older than me, while some have been my age. Some are even younger. Some I have never met, while some are in my life daily. Some have had an official role in my life while others have floated in and out.

Who are my mentors...

I am establishing a partial list. I am putting it in print to publicly thank them and to see if others notice names that have impacted their lives...

Keith Putt (Phil of Rel prof in Seminary who dumped out my "lincoln logs" so I could rebuild something substantial)
Dr. Billings (poli sci prof who helped me realize the need to think for myself and not follow the "herd mentality"- he was an African American NRA and ACLU member)
John Coltrane (a prayer needn't have words)
Doug Pagitt (always a step ahead of me- so sometimes I know where I am going and where I don't want to go)
Zach De La Rocha (concerned enough about those with no voice that he will scream it out loud. I wish I, and more Christians, would scream out for the voiceless)
Mike Houghton (close friend from high school, college and life- only guy from Live Oak who has similar thoughts on life, helped my faith immensly in high school and college-also buttering him up to move his family near us)

Thant is just a start for the day. My list is over 40 people long.

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