Agreeing to be Disagreeable
As this political season begins to turn (in much the same way as stale-dated dairy) we of course see the true colors of the season's inhabitants in all the splendor we have sadly come to expect. The green of envy, the yellow of cowardice, the red of shame and the purple of rage are brightly revealed just prior to the decent of it all into the brown of muck and decay.
I don't know what color respect might be, because it is seldom included in the pictures we paint. Rather, our disagreements become so vehement that we never dull the point of the crayon that would represent respect.
For instance, consider political conservatives and political liberals. I know and respect several people described in both ways. I know in my heart that their intentions are honorable and I believe those intentions are worth more than paving material in Hell. I respect that their convictions are honorable even if I do not agree with their methods. I expect others to respect that I may share those intentions even though I do not agree with certain methods. Instead, in the political arena people leap to the conclusion that if you do not agree on methodology, you must, therefore, approve of dreadful things. To make such a leap is to show one's hand and the fact that respect is not a card being played.
This is not only true in politics. It is also true in our churches. As I see more and more progress (in my opinion) toward being spirit-led rather than tradition-bound I am still saddened to see people on both sides of various issues finding commonality in mutual disdain rather than in respect. As I sit in meetings where people deride church members that may not agree with changes being made, it occurrs to me that the attitude on both sides of the issue is the same even if the opinion is not. It's just sad.
Do I think we should always agree? Abosolutely not. In fact, I think disagreement is healthy when done in a respectful way. If we cannot maintain a viewpoint in the face of opposition, just how strong is our point? I just think that we can and should disagree in a way that does not assume the worst of the other party or necessarily the elitism of ourselves.
And that's that about that.
I don't know what color respect might be, because it is seldom included in the pictures we paint. Rather, our disagreements become so vehement that we never dull the point of the crayon that would represent respect.
For instance, consider political conservatives and political liberals. I know and respect several people described in both ways. I know in my heart that their intentions are honorable and I believe those intentions are worth more than paving material in Hell. I respect that their convictions are honorable even if I do not agree with their methods. I expect others to respect that I may share those intentions even though I do not agree with certain methods. Instead, in the political arena people leap to the conclusion that if you do not agree on methodology, you must, therefore, approve of dreadful things. To make such a leap is to show one's hand and the fact that respect is not a card being played.
This is not only true in politics. It is also true in our churches. As I see more and more progress (in my opinion) toward being spirit-led rather than tradition-bound I am still saddened to see people on both sides of various issues finding commonality in mutual disdain rather than in respect. As I sit in meetings where people deride church members that may not agree with changes being made, it occurrs to me that the attitude on both sides of the issue is the same even if the opinion is not. It's just sad.
Do I think we should always agree? Abosolutely not. In fact, I think disagreement is healthy when done in a respectful way. If we cannot maintain a viewpoint in the face of opposition, just how strong is our point? I just think that we can and should disagree in a way that does not assume the worst of the other party or necessarily the elitism of ourselves.
And that's that about that.
1 Comments:
I disagree and I hate you. Just kidding. You are so right. I find myself doing that far too often.
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