Understanding others

We have an art show every year in Sarasota put on by the schools entitled, “Embracing Our Differences” that I love to go to if it happens to be where I know it is like it was this past year.  There is something to be said for embracing our differences.  Sometimes though, we are not called to embrace differences but rather to speak truth where it needs to be spoken.  Think of hate-laced groups here.  Would it be wise to embrace neo-Nazi groups or rather to speak truth and love into their individuals?

Sometimes it helps to meet people on a safe playing field so to speak, doesn’t it?  Some people would never darken the doors of a church but would absolutely come over for dinner.  Who doesn’t like free food, right?  It concerns me that most of my friends are Christians now.  In college I had a ton of atheist and agnostic friends but now I hardly have any.  The few that I do have I simply adore which is why I think I need more of them.  The onus is squarely on my shoulders to make it happen though, isn’t it?

Our poor politicians, where do you even start?  Our nation is largely divided over so many issues; I don’t envy them at all.  My dad has brought up to me before that for the presidency at least there’s been a lot of talk through the years of having one six year term as opposed to two four year terms.  That might be a good idea for every politician, just one term.  I don’t know what the answer is though, I really don’t.  Perhaps if they didn’t spend the last two years of their incumbency trying to secure their next term they’d be less likely to be quite such idiots?

I’ve also mentioned before how I think the way forward for any two people of varying opinions to reach understanding is to spend time with the other person.  That’s where politicians and the rest of society should start.  Lay out some ground rules on how you’re going to fight fairly like people have to do with their spouses and then go from there.  I’ll never forget when I was in the DR with other liberal teachers and one lady in particular was shocked when I stated that 95% of my friends were conservatives.  It’s because we share a common faith, which is more important than our political stances, I explained to her.

How do we care for the poor in our churches?  The first step is to get to know some poor people.  This is very difficult to do because we’re comfortable in our own little socioeconomic circles and dare not stray away from those circles.  If we’re truly looking to help the poor though, don’t you think we should get to know them first?  Know the other and try to understand the other, whoever that ‘other’ might be.  That, my friends, is the way forward.