Exploring Alternatives to Division in Challenging Times

Event Information:

Imago dei – the idea that we are created in the image of God – appears in the very first story of the Bible. Genesis 1 says that God created humans in God’s own image, blessed them and said, “Be fruitful, and multiply.” How is it then that humans can reflect God’s image and be so different from one another? Sometimes the variety of values and perspectives is divisive, even within families!

Join us for a six-week course designed to help us bridge divides with people whose viewpoints differ from our own. We’ll begin by exploring formative experiences that have shaped our own values, perspectives and political views, and we’ll recognize that others have been shaped in similar ways. Using the framework of the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC), we’ll look at polarization in society, and through real life situations, discover options for responding to challenging incidents encountered individually and in the public arena.

The course is led by Bethlehem member Nancy Maeker.  Participants will take the Intercultural Development Inventory between the first and second sessions. Cost is $25.

For more information, contact Pastor Kris, [email protected]. 

“Being able to think differently from those around us and being able to function lovingly with people who think otherwise is the ultimate in human endeavor.  It requires … a heart large enough to deal with conflict positively, enduringly, and kindly; and a soul sensitive enough to transcend the tension of the immediate for the sake of the quality of the future.”  --Sister Joan Chittister, “Uncommon Gratitude: Alleluia for all there is”