I’m sick to death of . . . I think most of us would complete this sentence starter with “politics” or “Democrats” or “Republicans,” or “Covid” or “quarantine.” (BTW, that sentence structure is called polysyndeton and is NOT recommended for academic writing, only when you think it’s snazzy to say something like that.)
“Sick to death,” implies that whatever is making you sick, literally or emotionally, will eventually cause death. Are you seeing this type of death in our country? I do. I see the death of civility, the death of calmly sharing opinions while respecting the other person, the death of conversation, the death of language that accurately expresses a message, and the death of honoring each other as God’s creation.
If you want to know where I stand on any issue, please let me know and I will sit down with you or FaceTime with you and share. What I won’t do is engage online in short snippets that can quickly become a keg of dynamite blowing up and destroying everybody involved.
It is VERY difficult to listen to someone state his or her opinion that is in total opposition to what I believe without interrupting and setting that person straight according to the great truth of Donna Rhodes. It takes practice, maturity, and most of all, it takes a heart that loves the other person no matter his or her opinion. I fail at this regularly and it breaks my heart, but I keep trying.
I have suggested a few times online (didn’t go well for me) that we listen to others because I know that when someone truly listens to me, I realize some of the things I’m saying are really not correct, especially if my listener asks me why I believe something or have a certain opinion. Guess what? The same thing happens to the other person when I’m the listener and my conversation partner is genuinely engaged in the conversation.
If you think this is a ridiculous idea, I’m sorry; maybe it is. However, I have experienced this with my friend, Richard. We are very far apart in our stances and beliefs on some very important issues, but our friendship is not dependent on our agreeing all the time. He appreciates me for me and says he admires my calling to teach in the public school system and the way I write. I am in awe of his strength and perseverance to fulfill his mission and stay true to his passion.
I urge you not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Don’t “throw away” people (fellow sojourners on this earth who are just as valuable as you or I) along with any undesirable, distasteful, offensive difference of opinion.
Remember, this is NEVER how things turn out:
#1: You’re an IDIOT!!!!
#2: Oh, you know, you’re right. I now believe what you’re saying! Thank-you.
Can I challenge you to stop with the cruel memes, the endless arguing, and the name-calling on social media? Let’s abandon anything that is futile and has been proven to only hurt, not work.
For issues that need correcting in our country, our state, our community, or our home, let’s be civil, spend time crafting our message, genuinely listen to each other and honor each other. Most of all, let’s make sure we are part of the solution and earnestly pray for each other.
If you feel compelled to leave a comment, please do so. I beg you to craft your statement and omit offensive name-calling and unsupported claims. I welcome your opinion and promise to consider what you say, but please don’t tell me I’m an idiot. 😉
