There are times when our misunderstanding of a particular subject will cause us to form a misrepresentation of an opposing view. Our misrepresentation is fueled by the feeling that our opinion is absolute. As a result of that myopic decision-making process, we misrepresent opposing views and declare them suspect.
On any given subject, a misunderstanding that initiates a person’s journey toward misrepresentation could easily be averted if people would simply sit down with those of a differing viewpoint and simply talk it through. Looking into another person’s eyes and communicating in a civil and honoring tone goes a long way in bringing understanding to subjects that cannot be fully processed from a single perspective.
In the back-and-forth dialogue between two willing participants, a deeper understanding comes, many times curtailing a premature broad-brush dismissal of another person’s point of view. In a world filled with contrary YouTube presentations, “in-depth” biased news reports, and gossip-filled conversations among church folk, we can take these dishonoring portraits at face value and do more damage than good.
As followers of Christ, we need to learn how to sit down and listen to each other before we stand up and announce to the world our disagreements. Not all that we seem so confident about is ever the full picture on any subject. Wisdom is never discovered in the void of personal omniscience.
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