On behalf of the Minciu Sodas laboratory, I invite you to discuss the results from my investigation of the hypothesis Good Will Opens the Way for the Good.

Addressing the Good in Others

Thursday, 7:00pm - 9:00pm, January 6th

2614 W.Marquette Rd. #2C, Chicago, IL

Please note that Marquette Rd. is 67th St. For more information about the evening, please contact me at (773) 925-9741 or ms@ms.lt. If you will attend, then please confirm by contacting me, or leaving a message.
Andrius Kulikauskas, Director, Minciu Sodas

The Minciu Sodas laboratory is devoted to caring about thinking. One of our objectives is a World for Supporting Life: Care for all manner of systems so we are all sensitive and responsive to the good coming from any direction. I would like to explore with you how a working group, with your participation, might take up and achieve this objective.

The Minciu Sodas laboratory organizes public research - action and discussion - as a way of building relationships. I would like to share with you the results from my investigation Good Will Opens the Way for the Good to learn from your response and to look for ways we may work together.

The Minciu Sodas laboratory pursues some objectives through material gain, and some through material loss. World for Supporting Life is one that we pursue only through material loss, so that we are ever mindful of its sacredness.

Agenda

Your participation will help me understand how useful are the ideas that have come up. Together we might apply and explore the useful ones further. Our agenda is:

Introduction of investigation.
Presentation of results.
Discussion of results.
Application of results.
Future investigations, especially yours!

Introduction of investigation. The most remarkable thing my father ever taught me was "Always show good will". I saw him apply this many times. Offering a bit of slack from ourselves to others casts any situation in a different light. We can show good will even to those we have the worst feelings towards. I think that when we encounter good will, then we encounter Christ, in the same way that when we encounter a good heart, we encounter God. When we respond with good will, then despite our feelings, we respond as if we have a good heart. What are the many ways of showing good will? If we knew them, and practiced them, then we might live flexibly, ready for the good to come from any direction. I think this may help us recognize life around us as we strive for a World for Supporting Life.

I started with the hypothesis Good will opens the way for the good and raised the question How did Jesus' behavior match his emotions? I looked through episodes in the Gospel of Mark to understand how Jesus experienced emotion, responded to it, and what good came of it.

Presentation of results. The main and final result of my investigation is that good will is the cooperation of the will and the good. Jesus always distinguishes in others between their will and their good. With his will, he himself addresses the good within them. He lets the good itself address the will within them. In the diagram below, the arrows show what Jesus addresses, and what the good addresses.

I started with the following model: For each emotional response that we experience, we should respond with a different way of getting things done. Each way of getting things done opens up a different direction for the good. I grouped episodes from the Gospel of Mark by the emotional response I took Jesus to experience. I analyzed them according to a model of emotional respones that shows how they arise when we distinguish between our inner and outer expectations. This yielded the following picture of his outlook in life, with italics asserting what is specific to Christ:

Inner assumption: People find.
Inner principle: What you find is what you love.
Inner expectation: People find, love, care for the signified, rather than the sign. If so, he is content. If not, he is sad. If he is not able to make an inner expectation (if people care about the sign even without finding it) then he is disgusted.

Outer assumption: People believe. (Otherwise, he is not able to make an outer expectation, and is frightened.)
Outer principle: What you believe is what happens.
Outer expectation: People believe, watch for, recognize God, rather than the world. If so, he is excited. If not, he is surprised. If he is not able to make an outer expectation (if people recognize God even without believing) then he is frightened.

As for suspense, and peace, I have to think that through a bit more carefully. I have assembled the conclusions in the table below.

Discussion of results. My investigation is successful if it leads us to new bold hypotheses. Your discussion makes us aware of what is useful, new or missing. Some possible topics:

Your thoughts, ideas, reservations, questions,...

Application of results. Our successful investigation relates our original belief (hypothesis) with a new belief (hypothesis). This opens a path for building coalitions, which makes our investigations practical.

Future investigations, especially yours! As Director of the Minciu Sodas laboratory, I am very happy that we are active here in Chicago. Our headquarters are in Lithuania, but I hope to establish a base in Chicago for future investigations. I am very interested in beliefs you have that you would like to challenge and explore in public. Our purpose is to become aware of related beliefs and build coalitions for practical work. I hope to explore how you might participate in the Minciu Sodas laboratory and our working group World for Supporting Life.

I hope you can help with our discussion, both in this meeting and outside of it.

Andrius Kulikauskas

Emotional Responses	Ways of Getting Things Done	Directions of the Good
Peace No distinction between inner and outer expectation. Lacking evidence, people care about the signified rather than the sign. Lacking faith, people do not recognize God.	Respond Validate the initiative of others. Jesus gives opportunites for others that they believe.	Jesus addresses their belief, with his wish. The good heart will address their wish.
Content Confirmed inner expectation. Finding evidence, people care about the signified rather than the sign.	Delegate Involve others in your success. Jesus is one with all those who do the will of God.	Jesus addresses their inner adherence, with his outer adherence. The good person within them will address their outer adherence.
Sad Failed inner expectation. Finding evidence, people care about the sign rather than the signified.	Renew Pull back and wait for somebody to step up. Jesus lets them see their hearts so they might change. He will not cater to their hardness, and retreats to strengthen others.	Jesus addresses their willingness to change, with his unwillingness to change. The good God will address their unwillingness to change.
Disgusted Unable to make inner expectation. Lacking evidence, people care about the sign rather than the signified.	Make yourself heard Vent your frustrations in public. Jesus sets a higher expectation, that they believe. He lets them see their hypocrisy.	Jesus addresses what they could be doing, with what he is doing. The good word (which judges the tree by the fruit) will address what they are doing.
Excited Confirmed outer expectation. Having faith, people recognize God.	Initiate Keep starting things up. Jesus accepts God's word, takes the initiative to invite disciples, gives them his instructions and authority.	Jesus addresses what they will achieve, with what he is able to do. Their good deed will address what they can do.
Surprised Failed outer expectation. Having faith, people do not recognize God.	Articulate Bring out the deep issue. Jesus speaks to those who have not placed faith in him to choose to understand his words or not, and addresses plainly the faith of those who have placed faith in him.	Jesus addresses the investment they have made, with what he finds interesting. The good gift will address what they find interesting.
Frightened Unable to make outer expectation. Lacking faith, people recognize God.	Confront Make tangible anything you may have to fear. Jesus distinguishes between the person and the demon, and keeps the demon from influencing people's beliefs. Jesus gives the person the opportunity to obey him and keep him in his heart.	Jesus addresses the demon that closes up, with his own person closed up. The good quality (of salt, that it preserves the good and destroys the bad) will address the person closed up.
Suspense Expectation not yet confirmed. People find evidence, but do they care about the signified? People have faith, but do they recognize God?	Sheer will What you believe is what happens. Jesus prays to God for strength, then uses his strength to proclaim the kingdom of God.	Jesus addresses their strength, with his purpose. The good news (that what you believe is what happens) will address their purpose.