Why I Continue to Choose Civility

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Civility is important to me because of who I am-not because of who anyone else is.

I can't force it on anyone.

It doesn't mean I don't tell the truth or believe lies.

It doesn't mean I approve or pretend to approve.

It doesn't mean I stop resisting wrong.

It does not mean I cannot speak with passion, sarcasm, or great force.

It does mean that I maintain a decorum and attitude of respect for my ideological opponent.

It's my choice.

I may find your point of view slanted, tilted, misinformed, or even repugnant, but you .... you did not crawl out of the slime one day. You were made in God's image and you are the object of God's attention and affection.

I cannot forget that

So, I'll continue to try and be civil because my basic conviction about the dignity of every human cannot change just because I find it hard to respect their choices or views.

That is a predetermined conviction and if it does not work out, oh well.

There will always be a way for me to express my feelings of repulsion or resistance to a tide of culture that offends my sensibilities. But I choose to treat people as kindly as I can without criticizing those who find that difficult or impossible.

And ... I will choose my indignation toward what might be uncivil very carefully, in context, and with a sense of balance... respectfully.

In the end of it all, only love wins.