Thursday, March 15, 2012

The power of division

Today's gospel includes the famous verse:
Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste.

Abraham Lincoln once said,

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.

We seem to live in a time when comprise is viewed not as a virtue but a weakness.

The word in its most basic form meant a promise made together. It represented a settlement by mutual agreement each party giving something for a goal bigger than their own interest.

How can we have a civil society if we abandon this most basic tool for living together?