Don't Conform, Transform

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." - Romans 12:2

     I have been focusing my dissertation in the area of transformational learning. The thinking in an area of transformational learning is that we have three ways of learning, according to Kegan and Lahey's Immunity to Change:

1. The Socialized Mind - we think what we are told to think by society - our family and people in authority.
2. The Self Authoring Mind - We create our own set of beliefs, ways of thinking, and values and agendas.
3. The Self-transforming Mind - the ability to see our beliefs and ways of thinking and acting in an objective way and change them to help us improve.

     This verse has an interesting connection to this area of study, especially when looking at the terms conform, transform, and renew. Jesus had said that we should come into his kingdom as children, which is tied to the concept of beginner's mind. A beginner's mind is the idea that as we work and experience things, we start to filter out things that a beginner would notice. One example is how novice astronomers find stars because they don't have those filters and beliefs prejudged. We tend to look at our reality in he same way with these filters and don't renew our mind.

     One method of engaging in a beginner's mind is the Inquiry method. The Inquiry method is looking at things from an exploration and questioning frame rather than a knowing and explaining frame of mind. In many instances, fatal flaws in business were in the successul answering of the wrong questions. The patient formulation and reformulation of good questions become critical.

     Interestingly, in looking at economic transformation Jesus transformed from a manufacturing industry (carpentry) to a service industry (healthcare). Not just providing physical healing, but psychological healing over guilt, and social healing through love and forgiveness. Instead of conforming to social expectations, he transformed into something the world needed more. How can we use transformational learning to change the world?