The following is from the book Myths: Fact and Fiction about Teaching and Learning by Israel Galindo. How well do you know fact from fiction?

MYTH: If you want to get rich, you can’t go wrong investing in real estate because, as they say, “they ain’t making any more of it.”

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It seems that we have a tendency of falling in love with certain concepts now and again. Some of these concepts come and go, others are more pernicious. Some concepts become popular, then wane with time or over-familiarity. What I mean by “falling in love” is that people develop an uncritical romantic notion toward the concept. They love the sound of the word or phrase, love to use it often.

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Although I no longer serve as pastor of a congregation, invitations to preach come my way from time to time.  The latest instance was yesterday when I helped a Presbyterian congregation surprise their pastor with the opportunity to worship among them, free of leadership responsibility.  The occasion was the thirtieth anniversary of her ordination and the tenth anniversary of her ministry in that place.  Not knowing what the lectionary for the day was, I was pleased to learn that they were accustomed to hearing their pastor preach from it.  I love the tussle with scripture that pushes me to stay grounded in its teaching while saying something useful about its bearing on our lives today. 

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I’d no sooner sat down to lunch at a recent conference, at which I presented on Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST), than a participant asked, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” I said, wondering what answer I’d have to compose while munching on my sandwich.

“How do you reconcile Bowen family systems theory with individualistic personality type theories like the Enneagram?”

In case you don’t recognize it, that’s a loaded question. I’d probably mentioned the Enneagram as an aside during one of my presentations. My lunch companion was echoing a question often raised in certain circles.

I playfully, responded, “Are you a BFST purist? Because I’ve heard they can be snobbish.”

She chuckled, getting the joke, which was a good sign. It meant she may be receptive to a reasoned (if not reasonable) answer.

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A student in my current on-line course, Educating in Faith, shared her memories of an evangelistic ”chalk artist.” Reading her comments I too remembered those presentations. I’m not a big fan of the graphic arts as ”performance art.” My early cognitive mapping related to art seems to have created a taxonomy that wants something to be one thing or the other, but not both. It’s either art or it isn’t; it’s ”craft” or high art; it’s a painting or a sculpture; it’s a drawing or a painting. Obviously, I’m not a big fan of ”mixed media,” and photorealistic Photoshop creations launches me into a philosophical aesthetical inner debate about whether what I’m looking at is ”art” or not.

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