Sunday, January 09, 2022
Sunday Reflection: Disagreement
When we gather, my family often tends towards strongly-held opinions with questionable provenance. And I am about the worst offender. But we are good skeptics-- rarely disagreeable when we disagree.
I have had conversations with some friends recently about their own "deconstruction" of their faith-- a process that led away from their beliefs, without much to fill the gap created. I think in part this is a product of the pandemic, which has broken down the usual social contacts that reinforce belief (most importantly, church). But more significantly, I think it is in larger part because of the failure of churches large and small to engage deeply with the people who used to be in the pews. Often the story is the same: someone was told they were wrong about this or that, and then the thread pulled the sweater apart as they walked away.
Doubt? Yeah, I've had it. But my faith has never really been rooted in what other people think or believe-- that's why I would be a lousy Mormon or Catholic. People do tell me they think I am wrong about something, and I consider their view (sometimes I am wrong, after all). But the basic tenets of my faith (there is a God, and it is not me/we are called to love others) are strong, and ideas that conflict with those core tenets are like rain on Gor-Tex.
It is a long winter of the spirit for a lot of people, and we need to deal with all with kindness.
