We Need a National Healing

Forgive me for stepping outside my usual focus on affair healing to say a word about another kind of healing we need in the United States: a national healing. I’m not speaking to any ideology or political group—just to all of us in a country meant to be united yet seeming to fracture more each day. We’re hurting. Can we heal? —Tim Tedder

What I see happening in the USA these days reminds me of what I often see when relationships start to fall apart. People stop listening. They start blaming. They back into their corners to defend their own point of view and only want to be around folks who already agree with them. Curiosity disappears. Vulnerability goes into hiding. Anger steps in. Sometimes, sadly, violence does, too.

If we Americans keep digging ourselves into “us vs. them” trenches, we won’t become stronger; we’ll become fragile. It’s comforting to gather with like-minded people and hear messages that echo our own beliefs, but that comfort can quietly harden into judgment against anyone who isn’t on “our side.”

We can do better than that.

For my part, I’m practicing the art of listening to different opinions—not just to rebut them, but to actually consider them. Sometimes they shift my thinking, sometimes they don’t, but the act of listening changes the tone of the conversation. And somewhere among all the disagreements, there’s usually a bit of common ground. We can stand on that patch together. We can be “one nation” there, even if we don’t agree on everything.

Let me share a few resources I’ve found helpful. These try to present balanced perspectives from opposing sides. Maybe they’ll stretch your thinking as they’ve stretched mine.

• Podcast: Left, Right, & Center
  A weekly podcast that discusses contemporary issues from three different political perspectives. The conversations are open and respectful. Each participant has a viewpoint but also demonstrates a willingness to listen and learn.

• Newsletter & Podcast: Tangle
  Isaac Saul works hard to present different views of what’s happening around us. When he gives his own opinion, he makes it clear that it’s his opinion and presents other perspectives as well. I can tell that Tangle is trying hard to offer a balanced voice. (And that’s why people on both “sides” will disagree at times.)

• News: Ground News
  Also available as an app, this news service uniquely presents news stories by showing a scale of how much each story is being covered by liberal, neutral, and conservative sources and also providing direct links to those sources. This allows the reader to see how different perspectives shape the stories in their own way and, by use of clear graphics, lets you know what stories might be under-reported by your favorite news outlets—an excellent resource for gaining a broader news perspective.