The Stillwater Project: Honesty

The Stillwater Project met today for their monthly meeting. The Stillwater Project is a group of thirty 13 year olds who charged with the task of teaching character qualities in a tangible and relevant way. Past words of consideration are Responsiblity, Respect, and Caring. Today's word was Honesty. This is no small order for anyone, but the Stillwater Project is not interested in small orders anyway.

The Stillwater Project begain rather lightly. It is good when doing big things to sometimes start out small, to rub some elbows, and to connect again. It is exciting to see this group implement and put into practice the qualities they are studying. A discussion of Honesty, for instance, is conducted in an environment and context in which group members are already committed to qualities of respect, responsibility and caring. The Stillwater Project is a team, if not a family of sorts.

"The Empty Pot" served as a discussion prompter. If you have not read this children's story you must. It is one of those "big things in little packages."

"The Empty Pot" is about a Chineese emporer looking for someone to succeed him. His love for flowers prompts him to conclude that he will name as successor any child who brings him the most lovely flower. Each child is given a seed to plant and nurture and water.

One boy named "Ping" does all he can to grow the most beautiful flower but nothing happens. He changes the soil, tends, waters, and tends again. But the seed will not sprout. He is sad and ashamed. He will be bringing an empty pot to the emporer.

Every other child jeers and taunts Ping. He is the only one without a flower to offer the emporer. He is also the only one who can offer the King an honest, reponsible, and respectful successor.

The King set out to test the boys. Each boy was given a seed that had been boiled -- it was no longer able to sprout and grow. Clearly, each of the other boys had set out to deceive rather than to confess their difficulty and shame. Ping's honesty and integrity were more lovely than any flower and were character qualities reflective of anyone succeeding the emporer.

After hearty discussion, the Stillwater Project drew the following conclusions of Honesty, what it is, and what is not:

The Stillwater Project:

Honesty

• truth
• trustworthy
• helpful
• kind
• nice
• responsible, respectful and caring

The Stillwater Project further discussion also revealed that being honest is not just the same as being "accurate." Honesty has qualities of kindness and help included in its essence. One can say something that is accurate but not necessarily kind or nice. That would not be honest. Honesty has an essence of encouragment, nurture, and hope.

I left the Stillwater Project today on top of a mountain! Would you join me? I walked away wondering how I might be an encouragement to someone else? How might be speech edify and build up? Is there anything I could say to help someone else, or to make them feel good about themself? Not just flattery or nice talk, but honest, helpful, and respectful talk?

I love you. Thanks for climbing with me.

Jeff on the mountains.