{"id":6098,"date":"2013-05-24T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2013-05-24T13:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/loveisanorientation\/?p=6098"},"modified":"2013-08-04T22:48:00","modified_gmt":"2013-08-05T03:48:00","slug":"part-3-understanding-the-culture-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/loveisanorientation\/2013\/05\/part-3-understanding-the-culture-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 3: Understanding the Culture War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I was reading a short, yet fantastic book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict<\/a> the other night. This topic has been of interest to me for some years now, as I can always glean profound bridge building insights between opposing worldviews from, historically, the most notorious cultural, political and religious disconnect in history.<\/p>\n

This book is filled with succinct and nuanced insights on the conflict, but also profound thoughts from Israelis and Palestinians on how they think the conflict can finally come to an end. One of those thoughts was the following:<\/p>\n

We must think differently, look at things in a different way. Peace requires a world of new concepts, new definitions. -Yitzhak Rabin<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then, in one of the best books<\/a> I have ever read, Chris Hedges<\/a> argues that<\/p>\n

Language is our first step toward salvation. We cannot fight what we cannot describe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I couldn\u2019t have stated either of those sentiments any better myself.<\/p>\n

The moment we buy into the long-standing and unsuccessful cultural systems deemed acceptable by the dominant majority\u2013that have gotten us to this current place\u2013is the same moment we lose the right to create a new category, language and ultimately a new engagement that builds bridges and makes peace.<\/p>\n

Only through a mass intentional opting out of the broken systems and options forced upon us can there ever be a possibility of a large enough shake-up to make a new medium of engagement stick. Faithfulness is always success\u2013it\u2019s just a matter of who believes in it enough to see it through. And right now, the only \u201cmass seeing anything through\u201d are those too scared to push back against the structure that makes them comfortable; not because it does any good, but rather because it\u2019s all they\u2019ve ever known.<\/p>\n

Read Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n

Read Part 2<\/a><\/p>\n

Much love.<\/p>\n

www.themarinofundation.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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