We seem to be living in a time marked by hostile division in our nation. It’s almost as if every passing month brings a new topic or issue on which we draw lines and separate into deeply divided sides. We’re now divided by our support for those who either kneel or stand for the national anthem. There is growing division over the role of guns in our society and the right to bear arms in light of the violence we witness all too frequently. We’re divided over how to best handle immigration and balance a concern for the alien with national security. Many times these divisions are just as sharp inside the body of Christ as we are often brothers and sisters sharply divided over how to respond faithfully to the issues of our day in a way that honors Jesus and advances His mission.
How do you personally deal with division? I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not easy, nor does it fit my definition of fun. There are some responses to division that aren’t helpful. One response is just to shout our case all the louder hoping that those on the other side will come to see the common sense and logic of our particular stance on an issue. The problem with this approach is that we’re so busy trying to make our case that we rarely listen or give the opportunity for the other side to help us understand their view.
For many of us, it’s tempting to avoid the division altogether. We only take in the news sources that agree with our views, we only converse with those who already agree with our point of view. We rarely venture into a discussion or dialog with someone who’s on the opposite side of the debate. Even more rarely do we seek out someone who doesn’t hold our particular position in order to learn from them or find common ground.
There are no easy answers to these struggles we’re having, but I do believe there is help. If you haven’t discovered the good folks at Q, I’d encourage you to check out their website at http://qideas.org/. On Thursday, October 26th, they are hosting the Q Commons event at cities around the country (find more information at http://qcommons.com/). For a lot of you around the CGGC, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find a city close to your location (apologies to our folks in Pennsylvania as the options are a little slimmer for you this year). For those of you within an hour or two of Findlay, our own Winebrenner Theological Seminary is hosting a Q Commons site. You can find out more information about the Findlay Q Commons event at http://winebrenner.edu/ or www.qcommons.com/findlay.
The theme of this year’s Q Commons is Healing Our Divided Nation. The two-hour live event will educate Christians on how they can bring hope and leadership to their communities in a critical cultural moment. I’ve always found Q events to be incredibly helpful in giving me tools to navigate the challenges of our changing culture. I plan to attend the Findlay event at WTS and I’d encourage you to check out the website at http://qcommons.com/ to see if there is city site close to where you live, work and play.
Just shouting past our “opponents” isn’t working and ignoring them and circling the wagons with those who agree with us doesn’t seem to be helping either. If you’re longing for a better way to address the struggles of a divided nation, I’d encourage you to take advantage of Q Commons on Thursday, October 26, 2017.
Have a great weekend. Keep on seeking His Kingdom.
Christ’s Peace,
Lance