Image by kalhh from Pixabay

Ridding ourselves of the polarization that is separating us ...

"When we are truly curious, we stay in relationship with people who are different from us—who we may even deem as the “other”—and start to get a deeper picture of who they are. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with their views, but curiosity does prevent us from assuming we know someone’s story because of how they voted or how they see the world. It allows us to disagree without dehumanizing one another. Curiosity enables us to hold on to our beliefs not with clenched fists but with open hands. That’s the part of bridging people don’t often talk about—it’s not just about finding common ground, it’s also about navigating conflict and building relationships in better ways.

It’s the same advice we often get in romantic relationships: Sometimes, it’s better to affirm the relationship than to assert our righteousness because it takes time for people to change. When we are told we are wrong, we are put on the defensive and are less able to truly hear someone who is trying to guide us towards justice.

Curiosity shouldn’t be weaponized, where we ask people questions only to prove them wrong or trap them in a corner. Curiosity is at the heart of bridging—the ability to connect with people across differences. It’s about a willingness to open up without losing sight of who we are and what we believe, but taking perhaps the greatest risk of all: being transformed by what we hear." - Scott Keoni Shigeoka

"This year has cracked open many of the giant challenges we must reckon with as Americans—and in some cases, it has brought them right to our doorsteps. It can feel overwhelming to consider how to tackle all of our problems at once, so it’s no wonder so many of us have at times felt hopeless and cynical about the state of our democracy. But cynicism is a poison. It gives us an out. It gives that voice in our heads a place to root—the voice that starts with “I don’t know how” and turns into “what does it matter?” It makes us feel vindicated—giddy even—in our blame, in our contempt, in our distrust. It hardens our hearts.

The opposite of cynicism? Taking responsibility.

If we each took intentional time to build up our civic muscles, we could all do a lot by each doing a little. And if you don’t see others around you taking responsibility? Do it anyway. Purposeful participation has power." - Kayla DeMonte

see every human being as sacred. This is a teaching across every major religious tradition—we cherish life because it is sanctified in a spiritual sense. But the way we recognize the sanctity of human life in a democracy is by registering people’s votes and listening to their voices. In our society, as Cornel West likes to say, what love looks like in public is justice. I think what holiness looks in a democracy is welcoming the contributions of a diverse array of citizens.

Throughout our history, great American leaders have used sacred language to talk about America. Abraham Lincoln spoke about the “better angels of our nature.” He called us “an almost chosen people.” When John Winthrop referred to America as a “city upon a hill,” he meant that in a very narrow sense. But Presidents Kennedy and Obama and even Reagan dramatically expanded that concept to mean we’re a nation that welcomes the voices and contributions of everybody.

The second effect of seeing democracy as a sacred project is that it invites repentance. I think there is going to be some repentance after this election, just as there was repentance after Jim Crow and segregation, when people like George Wallace sought forgiveness from people like John Lewis. And the great John Lewis said, as a Christian, he was called to forgive Wallace. I think what religious traditions give us is processes of repentance and repair, and opportunities to re-enter the community after a breach or transgression.

The third and final effect of seeing democracy as a sacred project is that it generates processes for redemption and reconciliation. After the court order came down that required the buses in Montgomery to be integrated, Dr. King said he wasn’t focused on anger or revenge. Instead he said, “The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community.” And so I think that as we move on from the advocacy for particular political sides during an election season, we have to shift to the idea of reconciliation. Danielle Allen talks about the centrality of “wholeness” in a diverse democracy. She prefers that term to “oneness.” Well, we have been divided in terrible ways these past four years, and we are going to need reconciliation to be whole again." - Eboo Patel

Quotes from and read more @ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_we_do_now