Continuing the Conversation on Our Mission

I see Mirror of Justice as a place where we are making a shared effort to move beyond the comforts of an echo chamber into the hard work of conversing across profound differences.  For me this is a miracle and a source of tremendous hope not only for the future of the church, but for the future of our world.  My hope lies not in the fact that we always understand each other, but in the fact that we keep trying—and that at several points on our common journey, moments of difference and misunderstanding have become an opportunity for deeper (and at times off-line) conversation. 

 

In response to your thoughts, Michael S., I wonder if our mission of exploring Catholic legal theory might call us to something beyond the “legitimate realm of professional criticism.”  It seems that if we are going to leave room for the Holy Spirit to heal, and if the mark of what it means to be Christians is our love for each other—“by this everyone will know that you are my disciples” (Jn 13:35)—then we may want to emphasize in a particular way how our love for each other can shape the contours of our criticism and critique. 

 

Here are a few questions that I find helpful before responding to someone with whom I disagree in both personal and professional contexts.  Have I really made space inside myself to listen profoundly, letting go of my own agenda, perceptions, judgments, and ego in order to enter as much as I am able into this person’s perspective?  Am I just reacting, or have I taken the time I need to let this perspective enter into me, and perhaps even change how I see things?  In considering how this person expresses him/herself, have I given him/her the benefit of the doubt, reading his/her words with a generous, magnanimous eye?  Have I done everything I can to appreciate what else might be going on in this person’s personal/professional life and the impact it might be having on how he/she expresses him/herself?  In the context of continued disagreement, in what ways can I thank this person for how he/she has challenged me to grow, and helped me to articulate my own perspective in a way that is more sensitive, loving, and appreciative of difference?

 

When I went to mass this morning, I was touched by the Alleluia verse taken from Ephesians 1:17-18, “May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our heart that we might see how great is the hope to which we are called.”  It seems like this might be the greatest gift we could hope to receive on our fifth birthday.