You probably haven’t heard about the midterm elections coming next month. No one’s really been talking about them. Oh, what’s that? You have? Yeah, I’m joking. Unless you’ve been living in a bunker (and it’s tempting to do so these days) you’ve been inundated by attack ads and partisan rancor. As usual, the people on the other side are motivated by malice and greed. It’s the most important election of our lifetimes, we’re told. Democracy hangs in the balance.

What’s missing from all the fighting are good faith attempts to understand people on the other side. And it’s not hard to see why. As Bonnie Kristian argues, “Political Empathy Takes Work.” But it’s not impossible. She writes that “Strengthening our theory of mind to comprehend others’ motives, fears, and loves is a way of building patience and ‘bearing with one another’ to ‘keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ (Eph. 4:2–3). Read the full article here.

Political fighting isn’t just fracturing our culture; it’s affecting churches too. If your church finds itself fracturing along party lines, it may be helpful to check out our resource on Avoiding All-Out Church War. Whether it’s political disagreements or theological ones (or just fighting over the color of the carpet in the foyer) this tool will help you know what to do when a fight is brewing and how to preempt congregational, board, or staff conflict. You'll learn common reactions people have in an argument, tips for running productive mediation sessions, and guidelines for restoring peace back to your church.