This I Believe: Ed Gross

As delivered to the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County on Sunday, January 25, 2009:

Since Ethical Culture advocates deed before creed, it may seem unusual, but I believe in the power of words. It takes words to express and communicate the ideas and feelings that motivate our actions. Not surprisingly, many of the words I’ve found most inspiring I heard delivered from this very platform. Joe Chuman’s addresses, in particular, have inspired me to try to be a better person and to put my beliefs into action.
Among the countless writers whose words I’ve cherished over the years, novelists Philip Roth, Kurt Vonnegut, and the under-appreciated John Barth made me laugh as they revealed facets of the human condition. My favorite among non-fiction writers is Lewis Lapham, the former editor of Harpers Magazine. If you’ve never experienced the incredibly interesting ways he uses language to construct arguments -- frequently both surprising and convincing, -- you owe yourself the experience.

I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly spiritual person, but several years ago. Kate Lovelady now the leader in St. Louis, opened my eyes from our platform. She said that, for her, spirituality takes the form of communication with others. Words are, to a great extent, the way we get to know each other. And words are how we try to change each other’s minds. Kate’s are among those that have changed mine.