We live in a divided world. How many times do we respond to a comment online, in the news, at the dinner table, or heard on the street with a shake of our head and the thought “how on earth can anyone think that?” How frequently do we dismiss whole segments of our community as “ignorant,” “uninformed,” “misled,” or “evil” because of the thoughts and beliefs they espouse?

This adult study discussion class invites participants to actively bridge personal, family and community divides by exploring the transformative practices outlined in Mónica Guzmán’s book, “I Never Thought of It That Way.” Rooted in the Christian calling to love one’s neighbor and build unity, we’ll share a safe, welcoming environment in which to dismantle the natural human tendencies toward sorting, othering, and siloing. Rather than engaging in debates aimed at changing minds, we’ll learn about the practice of “fearless curiosity” which calls us to shift our focus from abstract arguments to personal, lived experiences. We can learn to ask “raw,” assumption-free questions, listen to understand rather than to reply, and view political and social differences as mysteries to be explored rather than puzzles to be solved. We’ll explore practical communication tools to build (or re-build) authentic, one-on-one relationships which may enable us to discover unexpected common ground.

Class Schedule:  Starting each Sunday at 8:45am

– Sep 13 Introduction & Part I
– Sep 20 Part II
– Sep 27 Part III
– Oct 4   Part IV
– Oct 11 Part 5 & Epilogue