Civility: Where Have You Gone?

Everyone is aware and alarmed about the state of American society. Division doesn’t capture it. Polarized is closer. Sides are drawn on issues and leaders and no one is neutral. Civility has evaporated. No one in America is calm and sane when it comes to our opinions on issues and the leaders who espouse them. Now we face an election with candidates that most don’t really prefer. The conversation among citizens is often furious and without perspective. And more than that, the position many take is that it you are on the other side then we no longer have a relationship at all. We demonize each other for the opinion and commitment. It is all horrifying and has shredded civility everywhere. I keep in mind the powerful words of the Surgeon General this past summer. Dr. Vivek Murthy raised the alarm about social isolation and loneliness, saying that this condition is epidemic. He doesn’t mince words when he says this is killing us! So if the corrective is to focus on healthy connections, then it will be conceivable we can engage in relationships where different positions are tolerated. When we again value our connections more than the ideas and opinions that divide us we can restart civil society. It starts with humility and tolerance and finding our capacity to love others. For all those people of faith what does wisdom and scripture tell us? We all know the answer. Does it feel like love? Or does it feel like hate?