Conversation Guide: A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation

When you combine courage with compassion, the world can change.

Many of you were challenged and refreshed by the hope that our society is not as polarized as our media and political leaders would like us to believe.

Having read A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation you asked us to help find ways to share its content with family and friends as well as to develop new relationships with others who don’t look or think like you.

In response, the authors developed this Conversation Guide for small groups of people to have safe conversations about race, religion, politics, and sexuality in a way that can illuminate and transform the way you live in a divided world.

This guide can help you and people you know . . .

to speak your own language of healing in your corner of the world,
to reach out to people beyond our regular sphere of relationships, and
to think proactively about how you might respond in difficult situations to disarm the tension and build bridges of honest dialogue and compassion.

A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation will help you learn how to . . .

See disagreement as an opportunity for growth and discovery.
Change the temper of a hostile engagement or walk away.
Share mutual respect even beyond our deepest differences.
Become a peacemaker in your network of friends and family.

This book is divided into three main sections:

- - - - An Opportune Moment. Why is this a particularly propitious moment to elevate the conversation, at least for the vast majority of Americans who are tired of those who manipulate them through fear and anger
        
        Five Practices of a Peacemaker. What kind of conversation can lower the heat and increase the level of communication, especially where we hold significantly different views?
        
        Operating in Shared Space. Our deeply held views do not have to be subjugated to cooperate with others; we only have to endeavor to make as much space for their views as we want for ours.