Is Dialogue Dead?

I wrote this 4 years ago and it's not gotten any better.

Is Dialogue Dead?

“Dialogue is dead. Welcome to the age of a million monologues. Welcome to the day when people shout angrily at empty space rather than conversing with one another. Today is a day of hearing but not listening, when accusations are made without understanding, and when we fight against one another as we try to reach shockingly similar goals.


I am convinced that we are not as opposed to one another as we think we are, but we have lost the capacity to understand. And I lament that our ignorance appears to be increasingly willful. Rather than disagreeing, we make enemies. Rather than engaging perspectives that differ from our own, we villainize. Rather than recognizing our shortcomings, we cast our sin upon scapegoats.” Pastor Nick Highland


I wish I could say Nick is wrong but it seems that he is correct. Attacks and insults seem to be most peoples’ first response. So, what do we do as Christians? Forget that question, I have been hearing and seeing what Christians are saying and doing. Maybe I should say, “What should we do?” The answer is to live and talk like Christ. How is that? In Love.


No, it isn’t easy to walk in love. Yes, we will take abuse, but that isn’t anything new for the Christian. Jesus said we would face persecution.


Next, in a world filled with the noise of anger and hate-filled monologues, what should we focus on? I suggest we look to the Bible and what Paul said in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”


Finally, I suggest that we practice forgiveness. It is easy to get upset, angry. and bitter. Sports figures, politicians, reporters, bloggers, the twits on Twitter, and the Slander on Facebook, just to name a few, make it easy to lose your cool. However, Jesus told us to forgive and to love. There wasn’t an exception clause because someone was an idiot or because they were evil.


It doesn't matter if Dialogue is Dead, we are called to act one way no matter what other people do.
Think about it.