My heart’s cry: We need leaders in all spheres (religious, civic, social) who will be examples and pay the price to bring people together.
But how?
The hardest first step of restoring a relationship is to listen without the need to defend oneself.
Listening without defending allows us to truly hear the needs of the other.
Listening without defending allows us to be honest about our own role in the conflict.
A tough second step is to affirm and act on our commitment to come through this together, whatever the personal cost.
It will cost us our preferences.
It will cost our resources (time, energy, and money).
It will cost at least a bit of our own ideologies.
When this process seems too costly, or too difficult…
First, let’s consider the cost of not doing it. We’ve paid just a small amount of the price the last couple of days. We can be assured there is more to come on both sides of the divide. Being right may just be too expensive.
Second, consider the example of Christ. He willingly gave us His own life to give people a new life of oneness and unity – a people made up of every ethnicity, every language under heaven. For those of us who name Him Lord, our choice is made.