#56 Wanted: Discussion

I don't use social media. I don't see a lot of tweets or Facebook posts in my daily life. But that hasn't been enough to prevent me from feeling like I've been drowning in a flood of hot takes, one-liners, and screamed opinions lately. To be honest, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of sound bites and knee-jerk reactions, and our insatiable desire for everyone else to hear our opinion—a desire that I clearly share on some level, or else I wouldn't continue writing this blog.

But the thing is, I can't just be sick of it. I can't just wash my hands of all the grandstanding and name-calling and endless rambling. As much as I'd like to, I can't just ignore all of this because there are real issues that precipitate these deluges of opinions. While I don't think it's worthwhile to argue about the U.S. flag and the national anthem, I think that those monologues are hiding a really important conversation about institutional and systemic racism in this country. There are other important conversations out there, too: conversations about immigration and the government's proper role in health care and gender identity. What I think I'd like—and what I'm pretty sure I need—is discussion. I'd like to sit down and talk with a few others who hold a variety of positions on specific topics.

So I've made it this far, but here is where I'm getting stuck. I don't know if or where these conversations are happening, nor do I know how to go about starting these discussions. And I'm also not sure how much I can participate in such a conversation before I start running into spreading my own political views—something I as a pastor definitely want to avoid. But even if I think about simply facillitating or listening to learn what members of my community think, I'm still not sure how to begin. Here's where I feel I simply don't have enough experience as a pastor. I'd like to model love and concern for others. I'd like to practice respectful listening. I'm not sure where the sweet spot is between being too cautious and being too aggressive, between being too involved and being too detached. I'd like to listen and think deeply and learn. I'd like to respond wisely and lovingly to serious issues and help others do the same. I'm just not sure how to do it. I need some help.

Grace and peace,
BMH