Stop it. Please.

Don't stop the discussions, don't stop the intellectual gymnastics if you don't want. I suppose that doesn't really matter. But what I keep on seeing, what continues to sadden me is the points at which these so-called discussions treat people merely as inconsequential objects, as ideas to be refuted, as dissent to be quashed. There is a certain point at which our discussions descend very quickly from an equitable "I-Thou" subject-based relationship (thank-you Martin Buber) to "I-It" relations where people become inequitably treated objects. It's true. We accuse each other of not listening, and then proceed to not listen ourselves. Sometimes our points are half-written, half-thought, or half-baked. Other times, they're well-written, well-thought, well-baked. It's neat. We've read the moderns and bought it all, hook-line-sinker. Or maybe, we've discovered discourse theory. We've read our Foucault, and understand it. But in the end, after all the argumentativeness, do we come out stronger as a community, or have we merely succeded in proving one another unworthy of our intellectual prowess? There's danger in these discussions. Not the danger you might think tho. Not so much in the material, but in the way you approach it. The material doesn't frighten me in the least, but come on. Please just come on and listen. Please just come on and breathe before tearing off another response. Please just come on and breathe, and consider this: “Our coziness with the surrounding culture has made us so blind to many of its evils that, instead of calling them into question, we offer our own versions of them—in God’s name and with a good conscience." If you've taken some time. If you've breathed in Miroslav Volf's warning, and thought it through, welcome back to the conversation. Welcome back indeed. But please. Please for the love of the God you claim to serve. For the love of people you claim to be brothers, sisters, don't continue to treat them as your enemies. Technorati Tags: Christianity, Church Conflict, Emergent Church