01914 – Being Better at Differing
Qualls, Charles

When I was called here, I was charged with remaining politically neutral. And I’ve worked at that. Well let me tell you some things that are politically neutral–

* Encouraging you to not bear false-witness. That’s politically neutral. You might want to fact-check to see if what you’re spreading is true.

* Watching people post things on social media about the “other side,” opposite of what they believe. Knowing they are shooting scatter-shot and hitting friends and even other generations of their own family. Saying hurtful things about topics that I promise you won’t matter in 30 years, but can slowly drive a wedge between you and them right now.

* I tell you what else is politically neutral. Knowing that non-Christians are watching church people be petty, argumentative, ugly… and them being able to say ‘They’re not any different than we are.’

from “Why Aren’t We Better at Differing?”

30 years | argumentative | call(ed) | charge(d) | church people | different(ly) | drive a wedge between | encourage | fact-check | false-witness | family | friend(s) | generation(s) | hit(ting) | hurt(ful) | matter(ed) | neutral(ity) | opposite(s) | other side | people(s) | petty | politics | post(ed) | promise(d) | scatter-shot(s) | shoot(ing) | social media | spread(ing) | topic(s) | true | ugly | watch(ing)