“We live in an age where men fear each other, but do not fear God. As a result, ours is a society that is more and more stripped of grace.” – Miroslav Volf, 2012 lecture
I got to hear Volf speak at a lecture series last week, and his words still seem to be lingering in my mind almost a week later.
These are powerful words from Volf. His perspective is that at the root of our ever increasing incivility with one another, where people seem to react with more venom and vitriol, and the center doesn’t seem to hold together, is an absence of an awareness of a greater Person or Authority present and at work. Having less of an awareness of the Majesty of life, we have lost the awe of life itself.
Now, nothing is sacred. When nothing is valued, we have less reason to hold back, to restrain from hurting people or possessing things. Life becomes a game of reaching and grasping. People are lost in the shuffle. Living seems to be more of a hurried rush of actions and reactions. The simple beauty of each day seems to fade into the crunch of deadlines, noise, irritations, and the daily routines.
It would explain much in the way of our politics. It’s no longer “to the winner go the spoils”. It’s now more like “bloodsport” or “to the death of the other”. Political parties don’t just want to win; they want to utterly control all, while virtually annihilating the competition; bi-partisanship be darned. Forget negotiation and compromise. I make the rules, and you will be subservient to my wishes.
I was at a professional sports game recently. Maybe I’ve just been out of the loop for too long, but it struck me how intense the fans in the stands had become. It had veered far from cheering for one’s own team atmosphere to a heckle-and-insult the other team –their coach, their players, their fans, their mothers, their lineage, their eyesight—and so on. Profanity and vulgarity were considered art forms like using water colors or ink. And it only got worse for the referees.
Miroslav’s answer? For the devoted follower of Christ, it’s simple. Honor everyone (1 Peter 2:17). Practice indiscriminate respect. Look for the image of God in people, and value that. Learn to distinguish between a person’s deeds and actions, and their value as a human being. Regardless of whether the person’s positions are similar to yours, or the exact opposite, Volf said to always respect the person – and sometimes…maybe…respect their position.
Whether we agree or not is not the final issue. It’s whether or not we as a community, or as a nation, can sustain our differences and learn to honor each other in the process that will determine whether or not our country endures.
While we cannot save the world, we can affect the person that’s in front of us. And to do that, we can start by honoring them for who they are as a creature of the God of the universe.
I got to hear Volf speak at a lecture series last week, and his words still seem to be lingering in my mind almost a week later.
These are powerful words from Volf. His perspective is that at the root of our ever increasing incivility with one another, where people seem to react with more venom and vitriol, and the center doesn’t seem to hold together, is an absence of an awareness of a greater Person or Authority present and at work. Having less of an awareness of the Majesty of life, we have lost the awe of life itself.
Now, nothing is sacred. When nothing is valued, we have less reason to hold back, to restrain from hurting people or possessing things. Life becomes a game of reaching and grasping. People are lost in the shuffle. Living seems to be more of a hurried rush of actions and reactions. The simple beauty of each day seems to fade into the crunch of deadlines, noise, irritations, and the daily routines.
It would explain much in the way of our politics. It’s no longer “to the winner go the spoils”. It’s now more like “bloodsport” or “to the death of the other”. Political parties don’t just want to win; they want to utterly control all, while virtually annihilating the competition; bi-partisanship be darned. Forget negotiation and compromise. I make the rules, and you will be subservient to my wishes.
I was at a professional sports game recently. Maybe I’ve just been out of the loop for too long, but it struck me how intense the fans in the stands had become. It had veered far from cheering for one’s own team atmosphere to a heckle-and-insult the other team –their coach, their players, their fans, their mothers, their lineage, their eyesight—and so on. Profanity and vulgarity were considered art forms like using water colors or ink. And it only got worse for the referees.
Miroslav’s answer? For the devoted follower of Christ, it’s simple. Honor everyone (1 Peter 2:17). Practice indiscriminate respect. Look for the image of God in people, and value that. Learn to distinguish between a person’s deeds and actions, and their value as a human being. Regardless of whether the person’s positions are similar to yours, or the exact opposite, Volf said to always respect the person – and sometimes…maybe…respect their position.
Whether we agree or not is not the final issue. It’s whether or not we as a community, or as a nation, can sustain our differences and learn to honor each other in the process that will determine whether or not our country endures.
While we cannot save the world, we can affect the person that’s in front of us. And to do that, we can start by honoring them for who they are as a creature of the God of the universe.
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