Exhausted Majority
Dr. Richard Mouw
Today I listened to a dialogue (or as one person said, a “trialogue”) titled “Lessons Learned from January 6, 2021: Where Do People of Faith Go From Here?” hosted by the Center for Public Justice. It was recorded so I will try to put a link to it once I receive it. The panel included Richard Mouw, who I highly respect, so I listened in. The others were Rachel Anderson, J.D. and Vincent Bacote, Ph.D. Here are a few things I jotted down. Good thoughts.
Exhausted Majority. Most of the people we see on the media are from the “wings”—either ultra-right or ultra-left. I think one of the panelists said they represent only a 1/3 of the people in the world (or the US??). She said the rest of us are somewhere in between, in the “Exhausted Majority.” Isn’t that the truth?
What good can we do together? One of the panelists talked about crossing the divide and having a dialogue with people we disagree with, not trying to convince each other of our own opinions, but instead finding “what good we can do together.” I liked that. Not trying to find common ground even. Much more practical. What can we do together?
Not in it to win the argument but to understand each other, to learn. This is something I have learned in dealing with conflicts myself. They talked about listening to each others’ stories, how they got to where they are now or what they believe, and how that helps us understand even when we continue to disagree. Wouldn’t it be great if we’d enter every conversation with the desire to learn instead of to persuade or win or make sure the others hear our own opinion?
Hopes and fears = empathy. Dr. Mouw brought up the song “O, Little Town of Bethlehem,” which has been on my mind a lot this holiday season and the words we sing, “the hopes and fears of all the years.” He said if we talk to people about their hopes and fears, it builds empathy. When someone talks about their fear of what will happen to their children, their hope for their family, the job they hope to get, the fear of their economic survival, and so on, they become a person we can understand and empathize with.
Thoughts??