Lately I’ve been thinking about the anger that seems to infiltrate our daily lives.
Are the social, political and religious conflicts in our country worse now than in the past 70 years? I doubt it.
Consider Joseph McCarthy instigating brutal attacks on Americans with divergent views; contemplate the conflicts over civil rights; ponder the Viet-Nam upheaval; reflect on the assignations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.
I am certain you can think of other national disruptions, but those are some “top-of-the-head” events that came to me before an early morning cup of coffee.
Nevertheless, rather than focusing of problems, let us contemplate solutions.
How can we disagree agreeably? Here are some ideas:
- Focus on values–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control–rather than opinions.
- Realize that, overtime, opinions are subject to change.
- Listen to divergent views with an open mind.
- Avoid associating ideas with personalities, i.e. an abrasive person may have reasonable opinions.
- Remember no one wins an argument.
- Find social and political common ground.
- Never bully, attack, demean, degrade or humiliate another person.
- Avoid generalizations, cliches and inflammatory statements.
- Walk away from name-callers and those who make personal attacks on others.
- Use social media for socializing, not politicalizing.
- Sustain from judging or condemning another person.
- Consider that you could be wrong.
- Cultivate humility.
- Read or reread Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise focus on these things. Philippians 4:8