Consider the good and the bad - lead with 'Peace be with you'

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

 

I recently read about a real-life event, where a person came looking for those who have hurt him, and when he met them, he began his dialog with "peace be with you." It was not a way to avoid conflict - he actually told them, clearly, what the problem was - but it was a way to remove fear, and to facilitate conversation.

Often, in our political dialogue, we act in the opposite way. When conservatives respond to issues of gun control, for instance, they are quick to respond with statistics, which helps nothing to the person who just lost a loved one in a mass shooting. And when liberals want to highlight the unacceptable levels of social injustice in our country, they are OK with cries of "No justice, No peace!" which diminishes the progress made by previous generations. 

If we are really looking to engage everyone, if it is our sincere desire to have a productive exchange of ideas for the good of everyone, I am convinced we must consider both the good and the bad things of our country - yes, the founding fathers were slave owners, but they gave us the very system used to eradicate slavery. It is possible to point to what we must change, at the same time that we celebrate what has been obtained. 

A good indication of what the real purpose of our heart is, in the market of political ideas, is our ability to sincerely lead our discussions desiring peace, wholesome prosperity to our interlocutors.

CONSIDER THIS.

What do you think is the biggest obstacle to lead with "Peace be with you"?