By Katherine Schneider, for the CVPost
I’ve been struck lately by the rising tide of contempt for those holding different views from a speaker, and I wonder if this is another side effect of the pandemic.
Isolation leads to living in an ideological silo, only paying attention to media and social media that bolster one’s beliefs.
As I have walked around the neighborhood to gather signatures to get on the ballot again for a County Board seat, I’ve received many positive and thoughtful comments.
But I’ve also been told that no, they won’t sign and that all the county can do for them is leave them alone. Teachers tell me they’re seeing increased vandalism and other signs of students disrespecting each other.
The fabric of community has worn thin!
Here are some strategies with which I’m trying to counter contempt:
- Listening respectfully to the concerns behind the stand someone takes, and finding common ground.
- Enjoying common bonds and keeping in contact with people even if we’ll probably disagree forever on some things.
- Separating disagreement about a point of view from contempt and belittling of a person.
- Praying for my own change of heart instead of (or at least in addition to) asking God to straighten out that other person.
A Couple of Resources
I read and enjoyed Love your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks. He makes the point that being angry is okay because that energy can be used to try to bring a person in your direction, but contempt just distances and shames.
He also points out that fairness and care are underlying values that people on both sides of an issue may share.
A good resource, focusing particularly on racism in this regard, is Been in the Struggle: Pursuing an Antiracist Spirituality. It asks questions for your internal spiritual work, such as:
- How does my prayer inform my work for racial justice?
- Where is God in the midst of my learning, relearning and bearing witness?
- What sort of examination of conscience can I make in order to reflect on the socialized racism in my own heart, thoughts and practices?
Henry James wrote “We work in the dark, we do what we can and we give what we have.”
Amen!!
To read previous installments of “The Corona Chronicles,” click here.