This past weekend I was coming out of the local supermarket when I crossed paths with a man wearing a t-shirt that said, "If you don't like Trump you probably won't like me."
I wonder how much we all do just that? I'm not speaking specifically about the president and his admirers, I mean how often do we assume things about somebody just because of their political party or their religion or their profession? I suspect we do it fairly often, and thereby miss out on two things.
1) We miss out on potential friendships. I have one friend in particular whose views are diametrically opposed to mine in so many ways. And she's not shy about expressing them in public. But she often does very kind things for other people. If I had written her off because of her politics I would never have come to know her!
2) We miss out on a chance for meaningful dialogue. If we all simply crawl into our own corners and surround ourselves with people who always agree with us, we eventually close down any chance at compromise. Democracy (and for that matter life itself) works best when we are willing to listen, really listen, to a range of views and understandings.
I didn't have the guts to walk up to the guy with the t-shirt and say something like, "Hey, don't make assumptions! I may really like you if I got to know you!" It may have been because he was six feet, six inches tall, and looked like he weighed in at least two-hundred-fifty pounds. Or it may have been because I was in a hurry and wanted to get my groceries home and out of the heat. But I suspect it was really because I haven't yet fully learned the lesson I'm trying to offer in this brief essay, and made the counter-assumption that he was probably right.
I've got a long way to go!
Thanks for this John. I struggle with this all the time, particularly in this present climate My issue is not honest conversation, which I've always had with folks who I don't agree with, but the scorched policy of the current administration and their supporters.
ReplyDeleteThis one hits home. I found out on Saturday that my brother-in-law is hospitalized with a kidney infection and CoVID-19. I actually knew him and my wife's sister before I met the person who would become my wife. I have had many civil arguments with my brother-in-law about politics, but he was there for us when we needed help. It was to his location that we fled to escape Irma. The latest news is that he is doing better than he was. I continue to pray for him. If we are ever going to be a nation at peace with ourselves, we need to keep those lines of communication open.
ReplyDeleteThis is a difficult challenge and much food for thought.
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