THE world feels like a crazy place right now.
There are wars, protests around the world and an alarming rise in innocent people being murdered for racial, political and religious reasons.
How did we get to this point?
Civilisation seems to be out of touch with what it means to make space for multiple perspectives.
The old adage ‘Let’s agree to disagree and still be friends’ has lost its place in society.
Disagreement, once a springboard for healthy debate, is increasingly seen as a threat and a trigger for hate.
English author G K Chesterton wrote “A good soldier does not fight because he hates who is in front of him, he fights because he loves who is behind him.”
Healthy conflict is defending what matters to you in a manner that does not seek harm for those who do not share your view.
I watched a video of Charlie Kirk this week.
Charlie had just been heckled and the cap he was wearing was snatched from his head.
An onlooker asked him “Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?”
He responded “When people stop talking really bad stuff happens- war, genocide, divorce. We lose our humanity. We have to get back to reasonable conversation over our disagreement where violence is not an option.”
Let’s not go down the slippery slope of hatred and violence.
Engage in conversations that promote understanding.
Be curious about other’s experiences.
Notice the similarity in the words ‘communication’ and ‘community’. They are closely linked. Community is built on communication.
We may have diverging views and be passionate about those but we can still be respectful friends and enjoy life together.
We might find that our worldview is expanded a little more!
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