Seeing Eye to Eye

“Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Isaiah 52:8

With all of the discord and intolerance we see today it is hard to see how we could come to a place where we will eventually see eye to eye. Does it mean we all have to be the same political party, religion, have the same likes and dislikes? How do we move towards seeing eye to eye in today’s polarizing climate?

I love cilantro. I still remember the first time I tasted it. I was at a Thai restaurant and tasted this amazing fresh flavor. I liked it so much I stopped the waiter to ask him what the taste was. That happened almost forty years ago yet I still remember it so clearly. That is how much I like cilantro. But there are those who hate the taste of cilantro. They hate it is much as I love it. I am not going to change my mind and they are not going to change their mind. I can argue with them, quote statistics of why it is good for you, how many people like it versus those who don’t, try to make them taste it one more time, but in the end, I will likely not change their mind or they mine.

The differences we face today have much weightier consequences than a difference of opinion on cilantro. They are issues impacting our financial, moral, and spiritual lives. However, the principal of changing minds is the same. Both sides can create their own arguments, statistics and logic, but in the end debating it will most likely not change the other person’s opinion. Seeking unity is a gift we should seek for. Being a bridge builder rather than a wall builder.

President Henry B. Eyring said, “We live in many different circumstances. We will come from every nation and many ethnic backgrounds into the kingdom of God. And that prophesied gathering will accelerate. …The Lord Jehovah will return to live with those who have become His people and will find them united, of one heart, unified with Him and with our Heavenly Father. …The need for that gift to be granted to us and the challenge to maintain it will grow greater in the days ahead, in which we will be prepared as a people for our glorious destiny.”

President Henry B. Eyring, Our Hearts Knit as One, October 2008

How many times this year have we heard the term, “We’re all in this together”? It is posted on signs, letters are signed with it, television announcers and politicians say it with regularity. Whether it be a pandemic, civil unrest, or, differing political views we are all affected by it. We may all be experiencing it but we are not experiencing it the same way. However, we can, in fact, must, find ways to listen to each other, to love each other, and to solve problems together rather than being divided.

President Eyring goes on to state, “Pride is the great enemy of unity. You have seen and felt its terrible effects. …Happily I am seeing more and more skillful peacemakers who calm troubled waters before harm is done. You could be one of those peacemakers, whether you are in the conflict or an observer. One way I have seen it done is to search for anything on which we agree. To be that peacemaker, you need to have the simple faith that as children of God, with all our differences, it is likely that in a strong position we take, there will be elements of truth. The great peacemaker, the restorer of unity, is the one who finds a way to help people see the truth they share. That truth they share is always greater and more important to them than their differences. You can help yourself and others to see that common ground if you ask for help from God and then act. He will answer your prayer to help restore peace, as He has mine. …The children of God have more in common than they have differences. And even the differences can be seen as an opportunity. God will help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see and value what another person brings which you lack.

President Henry B. Eyring, Our Hearts Knit as One, October 2008

It takes courage to be a peacemaker. One of the gifts of the Spirit is discernment. This week ask for the gift of unity and discernment. Find common ground with someone you love but may disagree with. Ask, and then act.