Not long after the guilty verdict against former President Trump was announced in New York, some readers (well, approximately two of you) asked if I would be commenting about it in this space.
I will not be, other than to remind you Trump once said he could “stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose voters.”
I suppose he can now make a similar statement about being a convicted felon. Indeed, despite the conviction, polls indicate the race is close. Felon or not, Trump still has a strong following.
But that is all I will say about that. Today I will go in a different direction regarding the presidential election.
Before I do that, I will say I do not know if I will watch the upcoming debate. I simply don’t know if I can handle it and think I might do better to read and watch recaps once it is over.
The chicken way out? Perhaps, but I will own it should I decide not to watch.
What I would like to do today is address the matter of civility, and my longing for same in this election year. I would love to think most Americans, although they might have firm convictions about certain issues or candidates, do not see as enemies those with differing views about those issues or candidates. Unfortunately, some of the more vocal give me little hope of that.
You might believe divisiveness is worse than ever. Maybe so, maybe not. Because of social media, everyone with computer access has a voice that can be made public, and it seems the more extreme from each side are the loudest. Even though I do not subscribe to social media, those voices still sometimes come through, whether through media in general or forwarded emails.
I have fretted over the division among us, wanting to have civil discussions, but being afraid of offending someone.
Much of that is about me and my insecurities, so I will refrain from going into all of that. What I would like to do, however, is share some sources I have found helpful in sorting through all of this.
Because I am coming at this from the point of view of a person of faith, specifically Christian, most of these articles, books and podcasts come from a similar place. Even if your faith is different, or you have no faith at all, I hope this might still be of help to you.
A pastor’s opinion
The late Tim Keller, well-known pastor, theologian and founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in September 2018 with this headline: How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t.
While Keller did not call out members of either party for specific misbehavior, his statement, “while believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one,” must have caused some squirming from each camp. Certainly, if it caused some rethinking of how to engage in politics while being respectful of others, Pastor Keller accomplished something.
You might be right
A book I read a couple of years ago was a tremendous help in coming to terms with differences among us, and the fact that civility is not only possible, but extremely helpful in navigating political discussions.
In Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square, former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam proposes that people of faith can be effective in the political process, but cautions against letting rage and anger dominate that involvement.
Haslam often elaborates on civility in his podcast You Might Be Right which he co-hosts with his predecessor in the governor’s office, Phil Bredesen. (For those who might not know, Haslam is a Republican and Bredesen is a Democrat.) The title is taken from an oft-quoted line from a former Tennessee Senator, and a mentor of Haslam’s, the late Howard Baker: “Always keep in mind that the other fellow might be right.”
A better way
Michael Wear, who worked in the Obama administration in the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, has written two books, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America and The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Restoration of Public Life.
In both, Wear promotes his belief that there is a way beyond political sectarianism, and challenges readers to ask themselves what kind of people they want to be as they engage in politics. In addition to his books, Wear further addresses such topics in a faith, politics and news podcast he co-hosts with his wife Melissa called Wear We Are.
Not In It to Win It
Author and pastor Andy Stanley, founder of Northpoint Ministries in Atlanta, wrote Not In It to Win It out of concern for the Christian rhetoric he was hearing about winning, especially in the wake of the 2020 pandemic when choosing sides became the order of the day. Stanley challenges the notion that Christians should be in a fight, and reminds readers of a central tenet of the Christian faith – that the battle is won.
And one last recommendation
While this one is not about politics or faith, David Brooks’s How to Know a Person, which I included in my winter reading list, is an excellent guide to becoming more connected with others.
As Brooks so eloquently observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen – to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
I can’t think of anything better to strive for during this election year.
Reading Ed's comments below, I am almost ashamed to post this, but then I'm one of the 5% avid readers in America. I do like Stanley, Brooks, and Keller. Here are a few others>. Arthur C. Brooks, "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt.;" Richard J. Mouw, "Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World." For a more philosophical bent: P. M. Forni, "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People are Rude." -Jeff
I hate to break it to you Bob, but somewhere less than 5% of Americans are considered avid readers and I would guess only a tiny fraction of those would pick up a book on the subject of civility with most preferring westerns, romance or pulp fiction, judging from the number of books donated to my local book sale fundraiser. So no matter how we would like civility to reign in conversations, I'm not going to hold my breath.
On your political non-post above, I too will probably coward out and not watch the debate as well. I expect it will be anything but civil.