A Coming Together (Matthew 5:46-47)
Category : Blogpost
What happens when people come together, listen to each other, and really consider what is good for all? How do we work together to change the circumstances that give rise to societal dysfunction? Instead of pointing fingers of blame, we ought to be crying with one voice, “What we’re doing is not working, and it’s time to try something new!” To put it another way, we ought to be sitting across the table from each other and engaging in critical conversations, not just living by the letter of the law, as did the Pharisees.
Many of us have been there: talk, talk, talk, and nothing gets accomplished. I submit to you that our capacity to change depends on who’s at the table and on what the communication process entails. I recently attended a panel discussion about African-American women, past, present, and future. One of the panelists commented that our old strategy of talking at each other needs to change.
First of all, the people sitting at the table need to bring their unique opinions, experiences, and contextual perspectives on the world. As you can imagine, when diversity exists at the table, the range of possibilities tends to increase because many viewpoints are present.
Next, we have to ask: Is everyone at the table given a chance to express their unique perspectives? That’s where Inclusivity comes in. When inclusivity exists, the diverse people seated around the table are given a voice. That means that all of them have an opportunity to be included in the conversation.
But that’s still not enough. We also need a third component: Equity. When equity is taken into consideration, we have a range of opinions, all of which are accounted for in the conversation. Everyone’s opinion is given equal value and therefore equitable consideration.
Using this communication process, the tables can be turned. Lopsided, one-size-fits-all solutions will DIE, and new pathways open up. I believe this is one of the lessons Jesus taught through the Sermon on the Mount. He opened people’s eyes to the fact that might does not make right. He suggested that the Pharisees needed to stop looking for enemies in all the wrong places.
