Disagreeing Agreeably

We’ve all heard it said: “We have agreed to disagree agreeably.” We’ve heard that said, but it seems that it is, in our times, increasingly a rare feat. In part, I think that is because we do not really listen to each other. Instead, we shout at each other, assigning the worst possible motives to folks who think differently than we do, disagreeing disagreeably, with a lack of charity towards each other, with a vulgarity that is embarrassing. 

“We have agreed to disagree agreeably.” And maybe one of the central roles for Central is to take a lead in helping to foster the ability to do that. This week, you will have that opportunity, on Sunday, October 15, during Take Ten, when members of the Peace Islands Institute will be here, sharing some Turkish treats, and ready to engage in conversation with you about what life is like in Turkey, a nation with which the United States finds itself increasingly at odds. And on this Wednesday, October 18, you will have the opportunity to interact with community leaders with various viewpoints about how clean energy impacts the economy, our community and our families. In both settings, I hope that you will come to listen, to learn, and maybe to experience what it is to agree to disagree agreeably.

--Pastor Don Steele