Listening with your heart: the focus on uniting humans

“Empathy is not a betrayal of one’s cause,” is a quote from Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church turned political activist, that I think is important for us to remember during these polarizing times.

In the past six months we have seen a Minnesota state legislator and her husband murdered in their home; another Minnesota legislator and his wife shot in their home; and a prominent right-wing political activist publicly murdered. All of these events were publicly reported on. However, there are also many other instances of violence in this country that have not received as much coverage and should not be overlooked. We are a nation divided.

After each instance of violence, I noticed online that some Americans were mocking, downplaying, or otherwise reacting negatively to these instances of violence. This has to stop. Regardless of political affiliations, religious beliefs, or any other differences we may have, we NEED to put ourselves in the shoes of others and show empathy towards one another. According to Phelps-Roper, you can show empathy towards those who were affected by these acts of violence WITHOUT actively betraying your own moral values and beliefs. It feels like, in this charged environment, that you cannot feel sadness for someone who was the victim of violence if they happen to disagree with you about anything. In some instances, it feels like we are encouraged to disparage those who were victims of politically motivated violence if we did not agree with them politically. This is the type of thinking that will continue to deepen the divide in America.

As St. Benedict writes in The Rule of St. Benedict, “Listen with the ear of your Heart”. If we take the time to sit down and listen to each other, we can appreciate and focus on what unites us, rather than on what divides us. It’s important now, in this divisive time, to remember that we all are human beings. I can show compassion and grief for anyone who is a victim of violence without actively betraying my own values and beliefs. We need to listen to each other – just as St.Benedict calls us to do – if we want to have any chance of bridging the divide in this country.