Good morning, Rev. Cameron, and thank you for this wise analysis of the dangers of labeling, of which I am guilty as charged! What's leading to my proclivity to label is my morning YouTube habit. It has discerned my political algorithm and sends me what I want to hear. I need to be careful about this. But sometimes that same algorithm will have an unintended result. I am no fan of RFK, Jr., and so when I saw a clip of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders questioning him at a committee hearing, I clicked on it with glee, hoping Bernie would tear him to shreds. And while Bernie did go after him about vaccines and such, he also reached out to RFK, Jr. concerning warning labels on overly processed foods and banning junk food ads from T.V. They reached agreement on those issues. And much to my surprise, I suddenly felt hopeful.
Cameron, good reminder re: our use of language. Too easy to hurl back the same ad hominems thrown at us.
Sometimes it seems as if our entire society is swimming in the same invective pool. The heat of the language too often blocks our ongoing challenge to find that common ground found in John Hopkins' example of Bernie and RFKJr 's exchange.
But here is where I really struggle. There is the language I can use when I listen to the underneath of a person's words and find the brokenness we all share. But I cannot find compassionate or even tolerant words- or any word really--to describe the level of cruelty we are in because a severely broken person holds a level of power he has decided to use in a way that feeds his needs but is existentially dangerous for the rest of us.
Good morning, Rev. Cameron, and thank you for this wise analysis of the dangers of labeling, of which I am guilty as charged! What's leading to my proclivity to label is my morning YouTube habit. It has discerned my political algorithm and sends me what I want to hear. I need to be careful about this. But sometimes that same algorithm will have an unintended result. I am no fan of RFK, Jr., and so when I saw a clip of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders questioning him at a committee hearing, I clicked on it with glee, hoping Bernie would tear him to shreds. And while Bernie did go after him about vaccines and such, he also reached out to RFK, Jr. concerning warning labels on overly processed foods and banning junk food ads from T.V. They reached agreement on those issues. And much to my surprise, I suddenly felt hopeful.
Cameron, good reminder re: our use of language. Too easy to hurl back the same ad hominems thrown at us.
Sometimes it seems as if our entire society is swimming in the same invective pool. The heat of the language too often blocks our ongoing challenge to find that common ground found in John Hopkins' example of Bernie and RFKJr 's exchange.
But here is where I really struggle. There is the language I can use when I listen to the underneath of a person's words and find the brokenness we all share. But I cannot find compassionate or even tolerant words- or any word really--to describe the level of cruelty we are in because a severely broken person holds a level of power he has decided to use in a way that feeds his needs but is existentially dangerous for the rest of us.
A great reflection calling forth plenty of personal home work, not unlike C.G .Jung's advice 'attend the shadow'.
So profound Rev Cameron! Thank you I will share widely!