Saturday, March 27, 2021

Engaging New Perspectives

 I read an article this morning by Lindsey Funtik (click here to read the entire article) about Bible study that had some relevant thoughts pertaining to our divided and polarized nation (emphasis added by me):


"𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 π’‚π’π’˜π’‚π’šπ’” π’„π’π’π’”π’Šπ’…π’†π’“π’†π’… 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’π’π’“π’Ž π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’π’π’π’š 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇 π’—π’π’Šπ’„π’†π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’†π’™π’Šπ’”π’•π’†π’… and it was that awakening, the absolute gift, which has helped to shape me as a theologian, writer, reader, and Christian. 𝑰𝒏 π’π’Šπ’‡π’† 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’Šπ’ 𝒐𝒖𝒓 π’˜π’‚π’π’Œπ’” 𝒐𝒇 π’‡π’‚π’Šπ’•π’‰, π’…π’Šπ’‡π’‡π’†π’“π’†π’π’• π’‘π’†π’“π’”π’‘π’†π’„π’•π’Šπ’—π’†π’” π’Žπ’‚π’•π’•π’†π’“ and, if we want to be robust believers and thinkers, π’˜π’† π’Žπ’–π’”π’• π’†π’π’ˆπ’‚π’ˆπ’† π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ π’•π’‰π’†π’Ž."

Note that to engage with different voices does not mean you have to agree with them, but it means that opening yourself to other's stories, feelings, and perceptions about events will help enlighten your understanding of complex issues, not only theologically, but also politically.

"...after having it recommended to me on more occasions than I can count, I finally listened to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk entitled “The Danger of a Single Story”. I have long been a fan of her writing (you can check out a book review I wrote here), and in this grounded and prophetic speech, she highlights the fact that π’‰π’†π’‚π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’π’π’π’š 𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’‘π’†π’“π’”π’‘π’†π’„π’•π’Šπ’—π’†, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’”π’•π’π’“π’š, 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 π’Žπ’π’“π’† π’‰π’‚π’“π’Ž 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 π’˜π’† π’“π’†π’‚π’π’Šπ’›π’†. She speaks at length about the caricatures that people often sketch about her home in Africa, but her principles apply to reading the Bible, too. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 π’˜π’† π’π’π’π’š 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’—π’Šπ’†π’˜π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’•, π’Šπ’• π’ƒπ’†π’„π’π’Žπ’†π’” "𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆", π’˜π’‰π’†π’•π’‰π’†π’“ π’Šπ’• π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’π’π’π’š π’”π’•π’π’“π’š 𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕. Because I had not heard feminist voices talking about Scripture, I assumed those voices did not exist or were not valid. π‘Άπ’π’π’š π’‰π’‚π’—π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’”π’•π’π’“π’š π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒂 π’…π’†π’•π’“π’Šπ’Žπ’†π’π’• 𝒕𝒐 π’Žπ’š π’‡π’‚π’Šπ’•π’‰."

Years ago, someone recommended to me that for every three books or articles I read on a subject, I should read one book or article from a differing or opposing perspective. Once again, this does not mean you have to accept the differing perspective. But you should be aware of the other voices that exist, if for no other reason than it helps you understand their position and their concerns.

"𝑩𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒐 π’ƒπ’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’šπ’π’–π’“ π’π’˜π’ π’‘π’†π’“π’”π’‘π’†π’„π’•π’Šπ’—π’†...Your perspective is part of the mosaic of interpretations that can lead to richness of faith for all of us."

Do not let others silence your voice. Your voice matters. Your perspective matters. We may be living in a culture that is increasingly trying to silence or cancel the perspectives of others, and the case can certainly be made that this has occurred in the past, but every person has a voice. Every person has an experience that needs to be shared and heard and understood by others, whether that is related to a journey of faith or discussions about the future and direction of this country.

"𝑩𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒐 π’π’Šπ’”π’•π’†π’ 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔...Just as the perspective you bring to the table is valid, so are the perspectives of others."

Alternately, allow the voices of others to be heard, too. Their words and their lives have meaning, and can inform your decisions and your beliefs in the future.

"...sometimes, reading different perspectives will make you want to throw the book across the room, never to be picked up again. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’• π’Šπ’” 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 π’‚π’π’˜π’‚π’šπ’” π’‚π’ˆπ’“π’†π’†, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’• π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒐 π’†π’π’ˆπ’‚π’ˆπ’†. 𝑰 π’‘π’“π’π’Žπ’Šπ’”π’† π’šπ’π’–’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’Šπ’•."

"𝑩𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’ˆπ’“π’π’˜. The whole point of bringing in different perspectives is so that we might be both affirmed and challenged by one another. If we only ever work with material that is comfortable to us, we will remain exactly where we are."

This is perhaps the most important point that Lindsey made in her post. All of us should be willing to learn and to grow. None of us have arrived. None of us are where we should be, especially in our walk with Christ. We should all be learning and growing daily, and part of that process of growth comes as we engage with those around us and allow different voices and perspectives to inform our faith and our lives.

http://www.allanbevere.com/2021/03/engaging-new-perspectives.html#more
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