A Covenant for Civility: Come Let Us Reason Together

The rhetoric has gotten nasty.  There are preachers praying for the death of the President and members of Congress.  Aspersions are being cast upon the motivations and salvation of other Christians.  The tone has gotten so nasty that it's difficult not to get caught up in it.  In response, Jim Wallis has drawn up a "Covenant for Civility," to which he has invited other Christians to sign.  More than 100 Christian leaders have signed up, representing folks from across the ideological spectrum, from Jim Wallis to Chuck Colson.  

I'm in agreement with the statements that I've reproduced below.  I'm wondering how we can move the conversation in this direction.  As I consider this statement, I'm cognizant that I have said or written things in the past about folks I disagree with that have been less than civil.  So, as part of the problem I seek to be part of the solution.  I invite you to read and consider your response.

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A COVENANT FOR CIVILITY: 

 

Come Let Us Reason Together 

 

How good and pleasant it is when the people of God live together in unity.—Psalm 133:1

As Christian pastors and leaders with diverse theological and political beliefs, we have come together to make this covenant with each other, and to commend it to the church, faith-based organizations, and individuals, so that together we can contribute to a more civil national discourse. The church in the United States can offer a message of hope and reconciliation to a nation that is deeply divided by political and cultural differences. Too often, however, we have reflected the political divisions of our culture rather than the unity we have in the body of Christ. We come together to urge those who claim the name of Christ to “ put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). 

1) We commit that our dialogue with each other will reflect the spirit of the Scriptures, where our posture toward each other is to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

2) We believe that each of us, and our fellow human beings, are created in the image of God. The respect we owe to God should be reflected in the honor and respect we show to each other in our common humanity, particularly in how we speak to each other. With the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God …. this ought not to be so” (James 3:9, 10).

3) We pledge that when we disagree, we will do so respectfully, without impugning the other’s motives, attacking the other’s character, or questioning the other’s faith, and recognizing in humility that in our limited, human opinions, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will therefore “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).

4) We will ever be mindful of the language we use in expressing our disagreements, being neither arrogant nor boastful in our beliefs: “Before destruction one’s heart is haughty, but humility goes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).

5) We recognize that we cannot function together as citizens of the same community, whether local or national, unless we are mindful of how we treat each other in pursuit of the common good in the common life we share together. Each of us must therefore “put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:25).

6) We commit to pray for our political leaders—those with whom we may agree, as well as those with whom we may disagree. “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made … for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

7) We believe that it is more difficult to hate others, even our adversaries and our enemies, when we are praying for them. We commit to pray for each other, those with whom we agree and those with whom we may disagree, so that together we may strive to be faithful witnesses to our Lord, who prayed “ that they may be one” (John 17:22).

We pledge to God and to each other that we will lead by example in a country where civil discourse seems to have broken down. We will work to model a better way in how we treat each other in our many faith communities, even across religious and political lines. We will strive to create in our congregations safe and sacred spaces for common prayer and community discussion as we come together to seek God’s will for our nation and our world.

Comments

Gary said…
I don't regard Jim Wallis as a Christian. I believe he is a heretic who has a perverted view of the Bible. And I would not agree to covenant with Wallis over anything.
Allan R. Bevere said…
Gary,

Woah! there are places where I agree with Wallis and areas where I disagree, but I am at a loss how anyone rational can regard him as being outside the Christian tradition.

In addition, I would suggest you do some study on the history of heresy and what it truly is instead of throwing the term around so flippantly.
Ken Silva said…
A counterpoint to Wallis et al:

http://apprising.org/2010/03/29/emerging-church-leaders-evangelicals-sign-%e2%80%98covenant-for-civility%e2%80%99/
Robert Cornwall said…
Ken, the point is not to end conversation, but to change the tone. Note that Chuck Colson is among the signers -- I doubt he'd call himself Emergent or agree with Jim on much that is political. And if you would like to include me with the Emergent folks, that's fine with me. Just got back from a nice time at Theology after Google, which you noted was a festival of heresy.

And Allan, this is Gary's MO. Pretty much anyone who disagrees with him is outside the boundaries of the faith.
Anonymous said…
Well Gary, I have to admit, if Glen Bleck signed it, I would hesitate. The little I've read on Jim Wallis just now doesn't seem so bad, I'll have to revisit. He says "Don't go left, don't go right: go deeper." I like that. Anyway, did you read the covenant? If you sign it, you can still listen to Bleck in spite of what Jim suggests. Bleck can be entertaining to some I guess. David Mc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Wallis
John said…
Hi Gary.

John
David Mc said…
I'm just checking to see if I can sign in like Gary, rather than anonymous.

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