RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER IN A POLARIZED COMMUNITY

We live today in a highly polarized world and within highly polarized churches. In this, we are not unique. It’s normal and healthy. The bitterness, mean-spirit, and lack of respect that characterizes much of our political-ecclesial and moral discourse today is not normal and is far from healthy.

Let us not deceive ourselves in thinking that it’s healthy or, worse yet, in the name of truth or justice or God, try to rationalize our lack of respect for those who think differently than we do. We aren’t holy warriors, just angry people with highly selective compassions. We are split into two, and instead of seeing ourselves as one community caught in a common struggle, we talk rather in terms of us and them, like warring tribes. There is no longer plural.

We no longer have respectful conversation with each other. Today its rare to have a discussion on any sensitive political, moral, or ecclesial issues that doesn’t degenerate into name-calling and disrespect, Empathy, understanding, and compassion have become highly selective, ideological, and one sided. We listen to and respect only our kind. This comes with the gravity of issues they are defending: Abortion, family life, traditional marriages, and constitution. The truth being defended is eternal and allows for no compromise, so what is the purpose of dialogue? Why discuss something that is rationally self-evident, simply a question of human right and has long since been enshrined in democratic principle?

Strong convictions are not a fault, but what is distressing is that this unwillingness to be open to respectful dialogue on sensitive issues is generally as prevalent within Church circles as in political one.

In the church circles we are meant to hold ourselves to a higher standard: meet viciousness with graciousness, anger with compassion, opposition with understanding, slander with no retaliation, intolerance with patience and everything and every body with charity.

At a time when misunderstanding, anger, intolerance, impatience, lack of respect and lack of charity are paralyzing our communities and dividing the sincere from the insincere. Its time for us as followers of Jesus called to imitate his wide compassion to regrind ourselves in the same fundamental: respect, charity, understanding, patience, and gentleness towards those who oppose us. It is time to accept too that we are all in this together, one family within which everyone needs everyone else.

Biblical scholar Ernst Kaseman, once suggested that what’s wrong in both the world and the church is that the liberals aren’t pious and the pious aren’t liberals.



Rev. Fr. Joseph Nyamunga Mubiru, SSA
P.O.BOX 15318 Code 00509,
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