Newsletter:
Vol. 4. Iss. 1
21 February 2003
Christian Witness and Effective
Communication
Ken White
Passion and deeply held values compel us to speak out. But it is precisely those qualities that can prevent us from being heard. We lose effectiveness because our convictions can blind us to two of the most fundamental requirements for communication: connecting with our audience, and planning the outcomes we hope to achieve. In addition, people of faith face unique challenges as advocates for peace: beliefs that bring inspiration internally often create friction when expressed externally.
The most important contribution constituents of The Society for Biblical Studies can make to the public conversation about Near Eastern issues is to make that conversation safe for everyone. Most Americans know little about the region beyond mistaken but widely believed canards like “they’ve been killing each other for thousands of years.” But they do know that discussions about the Near East veer into two highly volatile places: religion and politics.
Rather than engage, most Americans slip quietly away from deliberating thoughtfully about their role in promoting peace. Mark Twain said that what most of us call thinking is really “rearranging prejudices.” To be an effective advocate, your job is to provide people with the space to expand—safely—their knowledge, the opportunity to act on that knowledge and the realization that a future of understanding and concern is better than a present of muddled indifference. Here are a few ways you can promote dialogue and understanding:
Provide a forum for concrete action. Americans like to do things, not just discuss them. Link issues with a piece of legislation pending before Congress, a petition drive—something specific with measurable goals and desirable outcomes.
1) Meet people where they are. Don’t expect your audience to become experts overnight. Begin by finding out who they are, how much they know, and what they want to learn, and tailor your conversation accordingly.
2) Tell stories. Human beings respond instinctively to narratives. Don’t shovel statistics or pile on acronyms and jargon. Invite your audience to experience both pain and the possibility of a better future.
3) Separate faith issues from political concerns. Public advocacy is not evangelism. Do not hide the source of your concern, but do not make acceptance of your faith a condition of agreeing with you. In politics, actions matter more than beliefs. You’re trying to influence people to behave a certain way, so maintain that fine line of praising the action without alienating the actor.
4) Don’t make the public sphere a place to test your faith. Public debates (at least in the US) are about principles and policies, not belief systems. When you enter the public arena, you lose the right to control how you are perceived and interpreted. Accept that you will be misunderstood, and acknowledge that you may not succeed in converting everyone to your viewpoint. You don’t have to convince everyone to make gains, so target your time and attention strategically. And if you don’t succeed, leave some bridges unburnt for the next attempt.
5) Near Eastern issues attract fanatics—don’t let them dominate. Discussions of Near Eastern issues tend to slide quickly toward polarization and antagonism, because faith, pain, and identity collide catastrophically there. Indeed, “competitive suffering” and accusations and counteraccusations dominate Near Eastern discussions in this country (and around the world). Sadly, the fanatics, with their emphasis on tightly scripted arguments, exclusionary vocabularies, and guilt-inducing diatribes, drive “regular people” away. After all, who wants to participate in that kind of discussion? This is why peacemakers like you are so important: peace will never happen as long as the fringe elements drive out those with a genuine interest in reconciliation, but no venue or means for participating. Don’t argue the troubled past; project a better future.
6) A gentle word turneth away wrath. No matter how maddening, never let a fanatic get your goat. Their suffering is compelling, but their absolutism will never prevail. Concentrate on speaking to the people who normally get driven out by the hard-core minority.
