One of the recent stories shared in our congregation is about two members who do some work around the church.  If you knew these people well, you knew that they had a lot of things in common, but not politics.  They leaned away from each other in their political lives, not towards each other, at least that’s how you would characterize them from the outside.

 

They would meet weekly to do work at the church, along with a couple of others.  It was during the election year of 2016.

 

Invariably the subject of politics came up on a regular basis. Both had strong enough opinions, but both respected the other.  Both had worked in companies that had an international reach and so both knew something about bigger cultures and how to get along with co-workers.

 

Actually, it was more than getting along, they learned to respect people who differed from themselves at work.

 

As we watched them each week entering into conversation as election season continued, we wondered how it was that they seemed to get along so well.  So, we asked them and this is what we heard.

 

1. They both shared about how much they had in common from their corporate life. 

 

As mentioned, both worked for international corporations, both had technical backgrounds, they approached things somewhat methodically. For both their faith was important to them.

 

2. They talked about the fact that they probably had more in common politically than they differed. 

 

What we heard them say was that they wanted their values – faith as well as politics, to be reflected in the candidates and parties they chose.  These values were not all that different even if they approached the solutions differently.

 

3. They had decided that trying to get each other to come over to “their side” was something to set aside, not insist on.

 

Here’s how they put it.

 

 

What they said was, we decided to set down the rope and meet on the bridge.  What a great image!

 

Bridging differences at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church is not convincing you about how right I am. It’s about setting down the rope and meeting in the middle.  To keep the conversation alive. To consider that my way isn’t the only way.

 

It doesn’t mean I set aside my values or convictions.  It does mean I’m secure enough in them for two things to happen. One, I can withstand being questioned. Two, my belief in Christ is strong enough to help me to admit ‘I could be wrong!’