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<h2 class="western"> D<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">ignif</font>ying<font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"> </font>The Other </h2>
<p align="right" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in"><font
size="1" style="font-size: 8pt">Arthur Blomme</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.12in"><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Several months ago, the
World Community of Christian Meditation (WCCM) introduced some
of us to the Dignity Index—a valuable tool for deepening the
practice of Christian charity. This framework uses an 8-point
scale to measure how we respond when we disagree. Each point
represents a particular mindset toward the other side, ranging
from <font color="#ed333b">one</font>: seeing our adversary
with total contempt, to <font color="#cc0000">eight</font>:recognizing
the inherent dignity in every person no matter what.<img
moz-do-not-send="false"
src="cid:part1.YHH0UEVx.YBrRTfoV@integralshift.ca" alt=""
align="right" style="max-width: 100%;" width="302"
height="689" class=""><br>
<br>
A comprehensive set of resources for building and teaching
skills for dignified disagreement is available at:<br>
<a href="https://www.dignity.us/resources"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.dignity.us/resources</a>.</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.12in"><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">The site offers practical
exercises and guidance to enhance charitable disagreement in
various contexts—teaching, community, politics, family, and the
workplace. How much easier might our lives have been had we
encountered such training earlier in our lives? Evaluating our
own responses to conflict—by asking how dignifying or
contemptuous they are—can surely aid us on the path toward a
global community united in love.<br>
<br>
I also find this scale of dignified disagreement to be a helpful
lens through which to read the Gospel narrative. This year’s
reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent offers a compelling
example. </font> </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.12in"><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">In the Gospel passage,
Joseph’s first reaction to Mary’s pregnancy was to minimize the
scandal: “<i><b>Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to
expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her
quietly</b></i><i>.</i>” This action preserved a measure of
dignity for Mary, yet still acquiesced to the contempt demanded
by the social conventions of his time.<br>
<br>
After much contemplation, an angel appeared to Joseph, calling
him toward a higher order of dignified action: “<i><b>When
Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife…”</b></i> Joseph thus
chose to fully dignify Mary by accepting her as his wife,
defying the social pressure to do otherwise.<br>
<br>
What strikes me in this passage is the power of the social
narrative to dictate contempt for Mary because of her perceived
violation of norms. That power is even greater today. We are
continually bombarded with narratives that tell us not only what
to consume, but also whom to hold in contempt. Certain stories
are amplified, while others are ignored. Powerful interests
increasingly own and control the narratives that shape our
social reality. In a time of growing inequality, war, and
injustice, we must be critically aware of how our beliefs are
being manipulated. As the saying goes, the first casualty of war
is truth.<br>
<br>
The scale of dignified disagreement can help us discern truth in
our political discourse. Dignified disagreement is far more
likely to reveal truth than contemptuous disagreement.<br>
<br>
I have come to admire Jeffrey Sachs for the dignity he extends
even to those with whom he disagrees. I first became aware of
him at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and initially
viewed him with some contempt for his support of the vaccine
roll-out. Although it helped that he later reconsidered his
position, what truly impressed me was the dignity he showed
toward Donald Trump. Sachs praised Trump for attempting
diplomatic engagement with Putin on Ukraine—noting he was the
first in years to meet directly with the Russian adversary. He
conveyed disappointment in Trump’s failure to follow through,
critiquing his ideas and actions without ever showing contempt
for his person.<br>
<br>
The Dignity Index is a useful tool, not only for evaluating
personal relationships but also for assessing the truthfulness
and integrity our leaders demonstrate in engagement with
others—whether across a table or across nations.</font></p>
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