Each month, a member of the board will share a reflection on the Soul Matters monthly theme and the state of the church. The theme for October is Cultivating Relationship. This month’s post is offered by Janna Sundby.

Cultivating deep relationships is easier when there’s shared respect between people.

I’ve been shopping at Cub in Shorewood for over 25 years.  There was a very tall guy who collects the grocery carts and does various maintenance work inside the store. I’ve seen him many times over the seasons and years. In winter he wears a huge fur hat, and in the summer, he wears a wide-brimmed ratan hat. Seeing him work tirelessly in all kinds of weather, made me appreciate him.  I noticed how he seemed to know the all the little kids who came into the store.  We’d exchange pleasantries and comments on the weather.  He was kind enough to jump my car one winter day when I found the battery dead.  We never talked deeply about anything, and I found out by accident that we stood on the opposite sides of the 2016 election.  I left that alone and focused on what I respected in him. Continue reading →