How to save America (spiritually) ... one conversation at a time.

I’m an Aussie living in the south-west of England. But all of my work these days is with people in the USA. I regularly come into contact with people from different sides of the political spectrum and the overwhelming thing I’ve noticed is this:

Each side thinks the other side is evil.

Not just silly, misinformed, a bit wrong, or misguided…but actually evil.

If each side thinks the other is evil, where does that leave us? Where does it all end up? Civil war? What can be done about it? Is it hopeless?

Those who don’t take the red vs blue stance, believe that both sides are controlled by other forces beyond them. The banking cartels, the deep state, the illuminati etc etc. But ultimately, the effect is the same. “My opinion is right and yours is wrong”.

Clearly, direct political action like protesting has a negligible effect.

Voting, even when handled legally and fairly is mainly directed towards the 2 party system. But many on both sides believe that the election process has been hi-jacked anyway (by the other side, of course).

I believe the solution lies closer to home. And I’m not talking about “finding peace in yourself before creating peace in the world”, although this has its place. I’m talking about seeking a new way forward with the people we disagree with.

Try this on for size:

Next time you’re having a conversation with someone who disagrees with you, listen to them. I mean, really listen to them. Try to actually understand their thought processes. Aim to be able to argue their case better than they can. Put aside your own opinions for the duration of the conversation. Decide to hang them up on the hook like a coat.

Don’t worry, they’ll still be there when the conversation is over.In fact, your opinions will raise their head continually throughout the conversation, usually in the form of a strong desire to contradict, tell them they’re wrong, yell, scream or maybe even lash out. That’s ok.

Every time this happens just acknowledge the desire within yourself and move your attention back to following what the other person is trying to say. You’ll get better at it with practice. It’s like building a muscle.

If you’ve managed to do this for even part of the conversation you may begin to notice something. The other person becomes less defensive (as do you). They open up more. You may start to understand where they’re coming from and become more interested in how they reached their conclusions and what lead them there. They may become more interested in your thoughts.

You may even begin to notice a change in your feelings towards the other person. Where before there was coldness, there appears warmth. Where before there was a sense that “this person is beneath me” there appears a brotherly/sisterliness, a feeling that we’re all human beings, doing our best with the thoughts, ideas, experiences, feelings and beliefs we’re living with and trying to make sense of.

Another thing happens. Something new enters the space between us. A new respect for the other person’s humanity. But more than that, new ideas, new thoughts, new inspirations, new impulses of will enter in. Something above and beyond the left vs right, blue vs red, opinion vs opinion arises within and between us.

Both people are changed in that moment. We may come away from the conversation with the same opinions but a subtle shift has occurred in our souls.

Rudolf Steiner referred to this practice as “the thought path to Christ”. What did he mean? If I have real, loving interest in what goes on in the soul of another human being, I am seeking Christ. If you don’t feel comfortable with my use of the name “Christ”, that’s fine. Think of it like this:

A being of the most sublime, divine love, forgiveness, acceptance and peace. A being who is the epitome of that which is truly human. A being who seeks to unite with all human beings for the good of the all, the good of the individual and the good of the entire cosmos. This force seeks to bring us together, not in any kind of abstract way but in a way where our thoughts and feelings are transformed.

We all want to be listened to, to be heard, to have our thoughts respected, valued and acknowledged. Seeking to understand one another and evoking the feeling of being understood is a balm for the human soul. It is simple (but not easy) to give this gift to another.

This is the beginning of a new kind of peace between individuals.

But it’s just a beginning. The more people practice this, the more it spreads. What starts as a little more peace between two individuals flows out into families, communities.

This practice could change America and the world one conversation at a time.