Half
of the country woke up Wednesday morning giddy; half woke up in despair. For
every cheer there was a tear, for every lament there was a shout of hoorah.
What would Jesus have us to do with this reality?
One
picture of our country that I found interesting while immersed in the election
night coverage was the way thatone “stats wonk,” (not one of the handsome or
beautiful commentators who are on camera all the time but the behind the scenes
numbers cruncher for whom an appearance is a quadrennial event), described how
the vote was unfolding: “The red counties are getting redder and the blue
counties are getting bluer.” Put another way, what was expressed Tuesday night
was the reality that our country is becoming ever more polarized. What would
Jesus have us to do with this reality?
The
stats wonk’s vivid depiction of our polarization cohered with a study I read in
the lead up to the election. Research conducted in Virginia showed that
one-half of Clinton supporters did not know anyone
who was voting for Trump while three-fifths of Trump supports did not know anyone who was voting for Clinton. This
reality is what is known as an “echo chamber”: we gather with those who will
tell us what we want to hear, listening only to the voices who will confirm our
pre-existing bias. What would Jesus have us to do with this reality?
The
polarized reality of our nation is the lived experience in our churches. As
congregations, we will gather on Sunday in the potentially awkward
circumstances of divided opinions, differing emotions, and varied hopes or
concerns for the future. While some of us will be surrounded by the echo
chamber, able to rejoice or lament without needing to reflect upon our words,
others of us will encounter friends we know do not share our thoughts or
feelings, and so we will try to be cognizant and kind toward one another. Such
kindness is the way of Jesus.
But
at some point in our conversations we will need to move beyond the election
season’s history of diatribe and cultivate habits of dialogue. It can make a
difference for our life together in Jesus if we are able to listen to one
another as brothers and sisters. I believe that one of the reasons this
election was so divisive is that it raised vital questions for Christian
ethics: questions of what kind of nation we shall be, the purpose for our life
together as communities, whose voices are absent or disenfranchised but which
must be heard. The electorate was impassioned by these questions, which endure
into the season of governance. Continuing to engage these questions as
communities of faith may spur us toward a greater expression of the love of
Christ.
How
can such conversation happen? How is it even possible that diatribe can be
transformed into dialogue? The Mennonites, long known and respected as
peacemakers, have a document entitled Agreeing
and Disagreeing in Love that suggests ways to conduct ourselves in thought,
in action and in life. This week I share with you Mennonite wisdom about
becoming peace-full congregations in thought:
1.
Accept Conflict - Acknowledge
together that conflict is a normal part of our life in the church. Romans
14:1-8, 10-12, 17-19; 15:1-7
2.
Affirm Hope - Affirm that as God
walks with us in conflict, we can work through to growth. Ephesians 4:15-16
3.
Commit to Prayer - Admit our needs
and commit ourselves to pray for a mutually satisfactory solution (no prayers
for my success or for the other to change but to find a joint way).
Embracing
the wisdom of the Mennonites,
Brad
Munroe
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