DE Ponderings
by Kevin Kessler
The Congregational Consulting Group (www.congregationalconsulting.org) has, over the past several weeks, provided a series of articles on polarization. All have been good but the 4th in the series written by Lawrence Peers and published today was, I thought, most insightful.
Peers looks at causes of polarization. He references an article written by Jesuit Matt Malone published in America: The Jesuit Review. Malone writes: …in contemporary politics, the question is not “What is the cause of polarization?” The question is “Who is the cause of polarization?” And the answer is: You are. You are the cause of polarization. And I am. Together, we are the causes of polarization. Unless we are willing to admit that, then the situation will only get worse. For polarization is not something that is happening to us but something we are causing. And the temptation to think that you or I are not complicit in it and that the fault lies entirely with someone else is actually what polarization is.
Even before reading these articles, I had been thinking about ways in which I’m complicit in polarization. I can easily enter conversation with someone with whom I agree on controversial matters. If the one I’m speaking to has a strongly different view, though, the conversation is more difficult. If at any time I knuckle down to win the conversation or speak poorly of the other following our time together, I have entered the throes of polarization.
Finding a way through this social dilemma is not easy. Thankfully Peers offers some helpful resources in his article which are designed specifically to assist polarized parties in finding an amicable way forward. I recommend reading the article (http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/when-polarization-becomes-a-tug-of-war/) and reviewing the embedded resources.
Peers’ article invited me to reflect more on the Feb. 24 lectionary text, Luke 6:27-38, a part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. Instructions given include loving enemies, doing good to those who hate you, lending expecting nothing in return, judging not, condemning not, and forgiving. Two key understandings from this text are verse 31 (Do to others as you would have them do to you.) and verse 38 (…for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.)
There are moments when those we disagree will hurt us. Jesus clearly offers better ways to react than with retaliation. For example, I may find it easy to talk about someone behind their back especially if that person vehemently disagrees with me and has said “sticks and stones” things that I know I’m supposed let slide. If I succumb to talking behind their back, am I not judging them? If I am judging, am I treating them in a way that I want to be treated? Am I ready to accept the same measure of judgement that I’m doling out?
I tackled these questions in the message I shared during worship Feb. 24. I offered that a better approach is to do as Thumper was instructed in Walt Disney’s Bambi: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Even this advice doesn’t go far enough. So here is my contribution: “If you can’t say anything nice, then dig deeper until you can, and then say those nice things to the one with whom you disagree.” I would appreciate being treated in this manner and receiving in like measure such kind regard.
The easy work is being complicit in polarization with the measure received being more polarization. The hard work is following the teachings of Jesus with the measure received being healthy relationships.
What Jesus suggests may seem impossible but not if we continue to put it into practice. Author Brian McLaren stated in his book Finding Our Way Again that “Practice may not make perfect, but…it does make currently impossible things possible.” Whatta ya think? With a lot of practice we just may be able to shift the tide of polarization into the beauty of healthy, working relationships. Imagine this outcome being the measure we get back.
The Congregational Consulting Group (www.congregationalconsulting.org) has, over the past several weeks, provided a series of articles on polarization. All have been good but the 4th in the series written by Lawrence Peers and published today was, I thought, most insightful.
Peers looks at causes of polarization. He references an article written by Jesuit Matt Malone published in America: The Jesuit Review. Malone writes: …in contemporary politics, the question is not “What is the cause of polarization?” The question is “Who is the cause of polarization?” And the answer is: You are. You are the cause of polarization. And I am. Together, we are the causes of polarization. Unless we are willing to admit that, then the situation will only get worse. For polarization is not something that is happening to us but something we are causing. And the temptation to think that you or I are not complicit in it and that the fault lies entirely with someone else is actually what polarization is.
Even before reading these articles, I had been thinking about ways in which I’m complicit in polarization. I can easily enter conversation with someone with whom I agree on controversial matters. If the one I’m speaking to has a strongly different view, though, the conversation is more difficult. If at any time I knuckle down to win the conversation or speak poorly of the other following our time together, I have entered the throes of polarization.
Finding a way through this social dilemma is not easy. Thankfully Peers offers some helpful resources in his article which are designed specifically to assist polarized parties in finding an amicable way forward. I recommend reading the article (http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/when-polarization-becomes-a-tug-of-war/) and reviewing the embedded resources.
Peers’ article invited me to reflect more on the Feb. 24 lectionary text, Luke 6:27-38, a part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. Instructions given include loving enemies, doing good to those who hate you, lending expecting nothing in return, judging not, condemning not, and forgiving. Two key understandings from this text are verse 31 (Do to others as you would have them do to you.) and verse 38 (…for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.)
There are moments when those we disagree will hurt us. Jesus clearly offers better ways to react than with retaliation. For example, I may find it easy to talk about someone behind their back especially if that person vehemently disagrees with me and has said “sticks and stones” things that I know I’m supposed let slide. If I succumb to talking behind their back, am I not judging them? If I am judging, am I treating them in a way that I want to be treated? Am I ready to accept the same measure of judgement that I’m doling out?
I tackled these questions in the message I shared during worship Feb. 24. I offered that a better approach is to do as Thumper was instructed in Walt Disney’s Bambi: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Even this advice doesn’t go far enough. So here is my contribution: “If you can’t say anything nice, then dig deeper until you can, and then say those nice things to the one with whom you disagree.” I would appreciate being treated in this manner and receiving in like measure such kind regard.
The easy work is being complicit in polarization with the measure received being more polarization. The hard work is following the teachings of Jesus with the measure received being healthy relationships.
What Jesus suggests may seem impossible but not if we continue to put it into practice. Author Brian McLaren stated in his book Finding Our Way Again that “Practice may not make perfect, but…it does make currently impossible things possible.” Whatta ya think? With a lot of practice we just may be able to shift the tide of polarization into the beauty of healthy, working relationships. Imagine this outcome being the measure we get back.
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