I’m tired of living in this season of such polarization. It seems that on almost any subject we can think of, there are extreme opposite opinions, and we don’t even want to talk to each other to understand the point of those who bring a perspective that differs from our own.
Maybe we should try a different approach and think about what we CAN agree on and then think about how people of faith can work together to respond proactively. Here are just a few examples and I’d love to hear from you to expand this list.
Abortion:
We may not agree on when and who and how and if abortion should be an option for women, but I think most people can agree that preventing unwanted pregnancies and being more supportive of people who become unexpectedly pregnant might reduce the number of women who are faced with having to make this sort of decision in the first place. What if we became a safe-haven for women who have been victims of rape, incest, or regrettable decisions to help them prayerfully discern how God might be calling them to respond to an unwanted pregnancy? What if churches decided to be non-judgmentally supportive of a woman who decided to bear a child without being married to the father or who decided that offering the child for adoption might be a better option for the baby? So often, shame, guilt, and condemnation are what a young woman fears that she will face, making a quiet abortion feel like the best option for her. I’m not interested in opening up Pandora’s box about whether that decision is right or wrong, I’m simply saying that it might be helpful for us as people of faith to consider how we might be a safe place to help women who are facing these sorts of decisions.
Immigration:
We certainly do not all agree on who should and who should not be allowed to come into our country, and whether or not walls are helpful and who should or should not be deported. But we likely CAN agree that ideally, people would not feel the need to flee their country to start with. What can the church do to help people overcome poverty and injustice in their home country?
Political leaders:
We are obviously divided on how we feel about some of our political leaders, now more than anytime in recent history. Regardless of whether or not we align with a particular political party or whether or not we like the direction our current administration is taking us, we can probably ALL agree that we need to be in prayer on a regular basis for the leaders of our country and other world leaders. And, we CAN likely agree that we could benefit from having more people in office whose moral compass aligns with the way that Jesus taught us by example to live and lead. How can we, as people of faith, identify and encourage more people who lead out of their deep faith convictions to participate in public policy?
What other issues might we find ways to address proactively? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Peace Y’all,
If you would like to print or share this edition of Claire…ification,
you are encouraged to use this pdf:
Claire – Let’s try focusing on what we CAN agree on
To read past editions – you are encouraged to follow this link:
https://capitaldistrictnc.org/claire-ificaton/
