I saw a tweet this weekend that’s had me thinking. “What if we assigned positive intent to others’ motives?”
What would happen if we did this one thing? Of course, with people in our real lives. But also with those we interact with online, whose podcasts or sermons or blog posts we read? What if, unless we sit down face to face or over the phone and discover otherwise, we assume they are not deliberately looking for conflict or upset things we hold dear?
I think it could change a lot. It will take a lot of tenderizing of our hearts. It will mean taking those assumed slights to prayer instead of the internet. But I think we can do it.
I realize there are many exceptions. Some people are looking for a fight. But even so, could we think through their “why?”. Could we still take the majority of conflict to the Throne instead of the Twitter?
Obviously, if peace-making does not include peace-keeping, there will be times when we take up conflicting ideas and situations and systemic practices and assumptions and seek change. But could we do it in a way that does not attack character or individual people? Could we assume there are reasons behind why people do what they do and believe what they believe? I think we could. As another tweet I read recently asserted, “Empathy and resistance are not mutually exclusive.”
What do you think?