A pandemic. Masks. Social Distancing. Schools. Job loss.
Race. Police. Protests. Armed citizens.
Election year. Republican. Democrat. Money. Immigration. Healthcare. Climate change.
What do all of these things have in common? Personal stories and experiences. Heartache, hopelessness, loss, frustration, grief and anger. What we see and hear most of all concerning these issues is division.
I see something else that all of these issues have in common…
…Something obvious, but often overlooked, and that is human goodness. It is not always easy to see. It has required time and reflection, years of experience interacting with people different than myself, living in places foreign to what I’d known, listening, personal growth and increased confidence in myself. I too have tended at times to condemn and vilify the “other side,” but my heart has led me beyond this tendency. Despite disagreeing, I know and care deeply for people on both sides of the polarization, on both sides of the binary frameworks constructed all around us. I can see the good in people on both sides, as well as the misunderstanding. I find I am able to embrace the complexity of many issues, but moving beyond that, I am able to hold these tensions in hand and advocate for a better future. In this space, on the Healing Division website, I will be writing about many polarizing issues, doing my very imperfect best to attempt to represent the thoughts and feelings of each side, with the goal of increasing understanding.