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Cooling Down Discourse
Whew–my mouth burns today after a survey of my facebook feed. I need a sip of something cool to drink after some of the heated rhetoric I took in. Social media sizzles with conflict these days. These conflicts overflow into relationships, families and churches. A pandemic, racial unrest, elections in the U.S., disrupted governments in other countries all turn up the heat in conversations. I have witnessed un-civil discourse among families, friends and members of the body of Christ. John 17 records Jesus’s prayer for all believers. In John 17:20-23, the Savior prays for the unity of all believers. Why? Because their unity testifies to the world that the Father…
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Civil Discourse: Church Flavor
As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend. Prov. 27:17 (NET) This has been an interesting year. I have frequently found myself in conversations where I disagreed with members of my church family. To my surprise and theirs, even when presented with the same information, we have come to different conclusions. I believe the ingredients to civil discourse with your church family are similar to the ones that foster civility in your family. What are the main ingredients that enable you to have a polite discussion with your family on a controversial subject? Last month, I wrote about how to stir up a batch of Civil Discourse–Family Flavor. Mix equal…
