Talking Across the Divide of Ideology and Identity Politics

From The Trinitarian (August 2013)

Talking Across the Divide of Ideology and Identity Politics
The Rev. Dr. Anthony Hutchinson

Over the last year, several parish members have expressed frustration to me about the bitter political divide we see in the country and even in our own Rogue Valley Community, where Left and Right seem not willing to talk with each other, but rather only talk at, demonize, and vilify.   In our effort to maintain peace with family members and friends who do not share our views, we often exclude “religion and politics” from conversation, even when these are things that matter deeply to us and rightly should be part of what we share with those we love.  How can we bridge the divide and communicate? 

Willingness to go beyond one’s comfort zone is key here, and careful, respectful attention.  It does not mean that we necessarily are going to convince anyone of our opinions, but it gives room for hope of finding common ground and correcting on both sides the obvious misunderstandings that result from only talking to those who agree with us: misstating the other side’s view, or somehow thinking that we are entitled to our own set of facts in addition to our own opinions.   

I wanted to share with you a letter I wrote in response to a query I received from a local community leader with family ties to Trinity, who asked that The Episcopal Church, Trinity Ashland, and I sever any ties we might have with the National Council of Churches to protest the NCC’s statement after the acquittal in Florida of George Zimmerman:

“Thank you for your recent email and concern for the ongoing faith and health of Trinity Church, in particular how it ‘will respond’ to NCC President Kathryn Lohre’s statement last week ... (http://www.ncccusa.org/news/130715zimmermanacquittal.html).

“I think I can sum up the position of the Episcopal Church, Trinity Ashland, and myself by citing the words of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, the Right Reverend Greg Brewer, given in a sermon since the Zimmerman verdict:  ‘I want to live in a world where George Zimmerman offered Trayvon Martin a ride home to get him out of the rain that night’ (http://www.cfdiocese.org/news/article/2013/07/17/justice-and-good-samaritan-bishop-greg-trayvon-martin).

“I hope that this is also your view.  It is, I believe, the position that our Lord calls us to, regardless of our politics, interest group or ethnicity. No matter what one’s views are on the specifics of the Zimmerman verdict, the laws of the State of Florida that lie behind it, or what one thinks actually occurred between Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Martin, I should hope that no one would wish for what happened, a tragedy for Martin, Zimmerman, and their families. 

“I believe that the whole affair underscores the fact that our society is still troubled by race: the fears and judgments that drove both Zimmerman and Martin to do and react as they did, the overwhelming sense of violation experienced by those identifying with Martin after the events of that night and its legal aftermath, and the echoing sense of violation and threat experienced by those who, like yourself, identified with Zimmerman.   (By way of full disclosure, I must state that I am a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon’s Commission to End Racism, and would not be so if I did not believe that race remains a problem in America.)

“I also believe that the case reflects the larger problem of gun violence in our society: Zimmerman used a gun to kill Martin, and his actions in part were based on laws immunizing such use when it is for self-defense.   I thus also support and agree with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, who in February called for people of faith to work to reduce the scourge of gun violence (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/presiding-bishop-katharine-jefferts-schori-gun-violence).

“I am a firm believer in the Rule of Law, an independent judiciary, and trial by a jury of one’s peers.  As President Obama said after the verdict, ‘We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. … [W]e should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us.’

“With the NCC, I ‘join in prayer for the family and friends of Trayvon Martin, for George Zimmerman and his family and friends, for the members of the jury and their family and friends, and for all who have suffered and will continue to suffer as a result of this tragedy.’  I recognize that people of good will may differ on how best to reduce racial strife and gun violence in our nation.   I hope that regardless of perhaps differing views on policy, we all share in a vision of a common future not driven by fear or faction, and where we help rather than hurt one another.”

Grace and Peace, 

Fr. Tony+