Counting the Cost: Love, Nonviolence, and Difficult Conversations

``And you know what? Jesus invites us to do the same thing. Jesus invites us to take up the cross and to follow him, and this is so challenging. I get it. But Jesus invites us, and in this chapter of Luke, he's been describing what this new realm looks like, and so, you know, he's talking about this is what it's going to be like, this this realm of God. And he says, but you have to take up your cross. [00:45:39] (30 seconds)  #ListenToUnderstand

Are we willing to lay down our lives? Are we willing to sacrifice our reputation, our friendships, our family? What are we willing to do in order for this beautiful realm of God which says love triumphs over evil, that love will drive out hate, that light will drive out darkness, but it comes at a cost. And are we willing to do that? [00:48:50] (32 seconds)

And in there, it talks about the fact that every conversation is really three conversations. There is the what happened conversation that's about the facts. There's the how do I feel about this, which is about our emotions. And then there's the conversation about what does this say about who I am? The identity conversation. [00:50:31] (29 seconds)

I think one of the first things we can do is figure out what's our goal in this conversation. And if we're honest with ourselves, many times, the goal is to change the other person's mind, and that is an impossible goal. It's impossible. There is nothing we can say that will change their minds. [00:53:11] (23 seconds)

They can change their minds, and typically, minds are changed by experience. If you think about yourself, how you know, think about a time when your own mind changed on something. What led to that? Usually, it's not someone getting in your face and pointing at you. Usually, it's something else, like an experience you have you say, oh my gosh. I think I need to rethink my opinion on this. [00:53:34] (30 seconds)

Not agree, but at least begin to understand how from their perspective they could get from a to b, and that is a helpful thing. And that empathy draws us closer together. It helps us stay connected. Right? And so, you know, it's important for us to think about that. [00:55:08] (19 seconds)

And here's why it's so important for us to not see each other as enemies. It's because how, life goes with them, it goes with us. We are connected. Remember our theme for the year? Ubuntu. We are connected. So, I watched a YouTube speech, by doctor Bernice King, who is doctor Martin Luther King's daughter. She it was for the, King Center earlier this week. And, she quoted her father, in a way that reminds us of the importance of remembering that we are connected. [01:03:10] (42 seconds)

So it matters to us what happens to those we disagree with because all of us are connected, and our future is bound together. So if we want this hatred to stop, we have to stop hating ourselves and begin embracing even those who disagree with us. [01:04:26] (22 seconds)