Maybe There is a Starting Point

When writing, it would be a good thing if the writer had some of the virtue being written about, but at the outset, let me admit that the Biblical value of true humility eludes me...yet it is vital toward achieving civility in our relationships. However, it remains an aspiration to be pursued, not a skill that has been mastered.

When reading the account of the history of Israel & Judah, I'm taken by the number of references to the king and people either "humbling themselves before God"...or...refusing to "humble themselves before God". To humble ourselves is to place ourselves in the position of enjoying the love, grace, and forgiveness of God. It is also to enjoy the relaxed posture of understanding that there can only be one God...and I am not him! To refuse to humble ourselves is to assume a false "godlike" posture of competing with the only true and living God, which can only alienate us from His great love and grace (see Proverbs 6:16-19), as well as from other people.

So what does this have to do with moving toward a more civil discourse, especially with those with whom we may have disagreements? True humility, while not being an absence of conviction, philosophy, opinion, or disagreement, takes the posture that maybe, just maybe I and those of my own particular political/philosophical party might just be incorrect (at least once in a while) and that (gasp!) those of another opposing political/philosophical party might just have truth that we would do well to listen to and ponder. Humbling ourselves before God and others will help deliver us from dismissing and demonizing those with voices dissonant from ours. Humility will enable us to speak truth with a graciousness that will make that truth attractive to those who receive it.

It's a good place to begin.

Spotting the Spin

One of the readers of the last post mentioned the word "slanted" in referring to the way information is disseminated and that got me thinking about the reality that not only do we need to check out the truthfulness of the information that is published, we must recognize that truth can be "spun" to advance an agenda or make another person look bad. Let me see if I can give an example... ...A couple of years ago, a popular news source reported that during the administration of the current administration gasoline prices had risen to near-record levels. That statement was true. However, it would have been equally true to report that during the curernt administration gasoline prices had risen to near the record levels reached during the administration of the former administration. It would also have been just as true to report that gasoline prices had risen to near record levels during the past 2 years. Do you see the point? Each of the above statements is true, but the way they are crafted can serve to simply give information, advance an agenda, or make someone look bad. The Bible has a term for learning to "spot the spin". That term is "discernment". At no time do we need discernment more than when we are reading or viewing those who play to our particular frame of reference politically and socially. Maybe more on that another time, but for now it is enough that we develop the practice of discernment.

At The Very Least...

It has been an embarrassingly long time since the last entry in this blog - two years! However, judging from what I see, read, and hear, the level of public discourse over critical issues doesn't seem to be getting more civil, so I've decided to resurrect this blog in the hopes of shedding a bit of light, instead of generating heat, in an environment that is already generating far more heat than light. Ready for a "blinding flash of the obvious"? Politicians and news sources of all sociopolitical leanings tend to not quite give all the information concerning an issue...especially if that information would tend to disagree with the agenda being promoted. So...before passing on stories as "fact" (let alone believing them), at the very least we need to take some time and invest some effort in discerning the complete truth, in so far as humanly possible, of that story. If accurate information is indispensable in making informed decisions, and if it is true that "the truth will set you free", it is incumbent upon us to verify the facts to the best of our ability. This is especially true if we claim to be followers of the One who said, "I am the truth". Fortunately, we have tools at our fingertips to make this task easier. May I humbly advocate making use of several on-line "fact-checking" websites (for comparison purposes)in an attempt to separate fact from "urban legend"? There are any number of such on-line sites (sites available on request). Check it out! Here's to the quest for truth.

The Pen is Mightier...

...than the 15 second "sound-bite". At least it should be more powerful. Fifteen second sound-bites lend themselves to sloganeering, trivializing of issues, "creative editing", and sensationalism. Good writing lends itself to thoughtfulness, self-examination, and critical thinking. The last post on this blog suggested just saying no to shrill voices that do not foster a civil discussion of issues. Today's suggestion is to just say "yes" to reading widely good writers of varied political positions. A good place to start is by reading several good "op-ed" columnists in a variety of newspapers (On-line reading of op-ed selections counts too.). Serious, civil debate of issues can never be reduced to 15 second sound bites, nor to two-word slogans.

Raise Your Right Hand and Repeat After Me...

It's been over 4 months since the last post to "Gentle Answer" and with the rhetoric of the 2012 U.S. presidential election heating up, it's not too early to make some commitments toward achieving a more civil, thoughtful discussion of issues that impact the lives of people. The first commitment is to "turn-off" the shrill voices that feed their own egos through name-calling, labeling, speaking in broad generalities, and who deal in half-truths taken out of context. If your sensibilities run toward the conservative side, you know who those voices are; so too if your convictions run toward the more liberal side, you know who those voices are. In one of the first posts to this blog, I encouraged us to "just say no"; "unplug" from all who demean, vilify, and demonize fellow humans beings. We recognize those voices that pander to our prejudices and fears and if those voices are to give way in the public discourse to civil discussion, it will be up to us to "turn them off" and refuse to give them time and attention. It matters not whether we agree philosophically with those shrill voices; if civility is to be restored, it will start with a rejection of the voices that sow fear, mistrust, hate, and discord.

Now, raise your right hand and repeat after me...

Musings...

It may be outside of the scope of this blog and its stated purpose of fostering a more civil public discussion of issues and it is certainly with some "fear and trembling" that I add to the spate of words written on the demise of Osama bin Laden. The writer of Proverbs said, "When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy." (Proverbs 11:10). Certainly I shed no tears at the news of the death of Osama bin Laden and I am grateful for the courage and skill of those Special Forces who took part in the operation that rid the world of a man responsible for so much evil and suffering. Strangely, though, I'm uncomfortable with the gleeful celebration of his death. Justice may demand such punishment, but is such seeming delight over the death of anyone, even a heinous crimimal such as bin Laden, the response that reflects the heart of God? One of the first thoughts that came to me on getting the news of bin Laden's death was that from the book of Ezekiel: "Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23) "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" (Ezekiel 18:32). I trust no one will misunderstand...a man responsible for the misery and death of thousands, even tens of thousands, must face justice and judgment. Yet was justice served? Perhaps it was not possible, but might justice have been better served to bring this man to trial and before all the world, face the consequences for his cruelty? Do we really think that the death of bin Laden will be a "game-changer" in terms of the necessity of vigilance in counteracting terrorism? Recent years have demonstrated the power of fanaticism as literally hundreds of men, women, and even children have been willing to blow themselves up for a perverted "cause". We should also be sobered by the thought that a dead "martyr" may wield more influence than a live fugitive. Perhaps most troubling of all in the midst of this celebrating is that we lose perspective on the nature of evil. We believe that evil belongs to "others" ("them") who deserve to pay for their sins because of the gross character of their misdeeds, blinding us to the fact that evil also resides in us and that we all stand under the judgment of God. Were it not for the grace of God in Christ, we would stand before God without hope. "Do you think that those Galileans were worse sinners than all the Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." ( - Jesus Christ: Luke 13:2-3)

Toward that "Healthy Mistrust"

In the post of 23 February, I tried to make the case for a "healthy mistrust" of the total "rightness" of our particular ideology. This follow-up may resonate more with those of evangelical conviction because in order to develop this healthy mistrust of our own ideology, we need to allow our theology to inform us with the reality that everything in this world is loaded with imperfection...OK...sin. Think of the illustration of philosophical differences that pit the advocates of a totally unfettered (and unregulated) free-market economy over against those devotees of a highly regulated (even socialistic) economy. My Evangelical Christian theology informs me that everything in this world is tainted to its very core by sin. Given that understanding, it isn't difficult to understand that a free market idealogue can "game the system" in such a way that enriches himself on the backs of human beings created in the image of God, but who (and their labor) become reduced to nothing more than commodities. On the other hand, the advocate of a tightly regulated, more socialistic economy must recognize that people can "game the system" by taking the path of least resistance through irresponsibility and deception in order to receive that to which they are not entitled. I guess the old saying is true...and may we never forget it...no one (and nothing) is perfect.