Fake news! Lies! Snowflake! Sheep!
The Internet has become an ugly place. The accusations are flying, and we all have our reasons for throwing them. Outrageous is maybe the best word to describe our current political climate. It does feel good to get that anger out, share it with like-minded friends, and let the other side know how wrong they are. Anything wrong with that?
Scripture says, “Be angry, but do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26) Actually, the Bible has a lot to say about anger, and it all points in the same direction. Whether it’s God’s wrath, Jesus angrily turning over the tables in the temple, or our own experience of a 6-year old angry that things aren’t fair, anger has one purpose. Anger points to the fact that things are not as they should be. It is a gift from God, alerting us to the need for change, but anger is not a blessing. It could be a curse. Whether anger brings destruction or life all depends on what we do with it.
In our social media postings and sharings, that purpose has been drown out in the noise. Because few people have ever been persuaded by being called names or confronted with accusations, our angry postings, however persuasive they may seem to those who already agree with us, simply serve to drive us farther apart. Why change your mind when the other side has already decided that you are of the devil? The picture keeps getting uglier. Caricatures, prejudices, even deliberate falsehoods take the place of real information, and why not? The other side is so obviously wrong, it doesn’t matter what we say about them.
We’re Christians. Does that matter?
The problem for us as Christians is that we are more than our anger, no matter how righteous. Our purpose, at least according to the Book of Common Prayer, is to build reconciliation. As I said on my Facebook page a while ago, there has to be a better way, but since Facebook is not exactly the best communication tool, I am writing my thoughts here.
Listen carefully to what I am saying and not saying: Reconciliation is not the same as getting along. Jesus never offered the proposition that all opinions are equally valid, or called us to look the other way in the face of injustice. Some options are simply wrong. Standards, such as the Baptismal Covenant wherein we promise to “promote the dignity of every human being,” must be affirmed. Even as we work to build community, we don’t let go of our anger—things are wrong! As Christians we use that anger for God’s purposes and not just to let off steam. We may be frustrated, because we have never been promised that this would be easy, but even in frustration we can be at peace.
All this is why Trinity’s Vestry has been working for the last year and a half to learn to disagree. The program we have been using, “Living Room Conversations,” invites us to consider our common values and purposes before we set out to argue about policies. If we can see each other as participants in the same common cause, we might be able to find solutions.
Having been through several such conversations, the Vestry is ready to take our show to the congregation. We invite you to join us on Thursday, November 8th at 6:30 pm, in the library, to have a conversation. We will disagree—that’s the plan! Still, we will know each other as we all belong to Christ.
This may sound difficult, even impossible. It may sound pointless, even weak. Let’s remember: Christians have been here before. We are always trying to build God’s Kingdom in a world that wants nothing to do with it, and that’s always going to look odd. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Join the Vestry on November 8, and let’s try something the Internet says is impossible. Let’s connect.