My friend David alerted me to the “debate” between my friend Brian McLaren and Richard Land, a former professor of mine. Regardless of where someone comes down on the religio-politico landscape, these two demonstrate how to have a charitable conversation. Refreshing.
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I too saw this conversation. I was greatly encouraged to watch this exchange.
Debbie,
Thanks for noting your encouragement. More of these kinds of conversations between people who disagree may help us move to a better place going forward.
Todd-
I watched that too. I thought toward the end of the conversation that Brian got a bit snarky (which I simply loved!) with Land. But then, maybe he wasn’t and I was being too mean.
I don’t like Land at all and it was encouraging to listen to them dialogue in spite of that. You could tell there were differences between them but both seem to hold their tongues and find opportunities to agree. I found that encouraging.
Bo
Bo.
Glad you weighed in. I don’t for one minute want to intimate these two agree on much. What they did agree on was the necessity for those who want to talk about faith and life when it intersects politics should do so without committing to such a bi-polarity that has one coming off sounding as though the other cannot possibly be orthodox and much less Christian. Too many times the rhetoric I find from those on the “far right” to be this kind of marginalizing of an voice that does not explicitly agree with theirs. It is this very thing that may have led to what you refer as a “snarky” retort by McLaren. After all, he has been the brunt of much of this kind of thing.
We will see what future installments of this conversation look like.