Is This The Bible?

“The spirit of love and dignity doesn’t divide. It may be the only thing that can heal the wounds of our time.”

Last week, I gave a talk about our dignity movement to a conference of higher education leaders. I shared our core beliefs: that how we treat each other is the new issue of our time, that the Dignity Index helps us see that we’ve all become more contemptuous than we realize, and that with a little effort and new skills, we can all do better.  

After my presentation, I raced for the door to catch a flight, but one woman caught me. “Just a quick question?” she asked. “Of course,” I answered. “Your presentation… Isn’t what you presented just the Bible? Isn’t it just the great commandments—love God and love your neighbor?”

I paused for a beat. I’ve never wanted to run the risk of mixing religion with social change because I fear that “religion” by itself can turn off people we want to reach. And I further worry that the Bible itself has become a political tool—a weapon politicians use to advance political agendas that often have nothing to do with faith or hope or love. I don’t want us to be part of politicizing religion.

But as I looked at this woman, I could tell she wasn’t asking me about politics or the conflict of religions. I sensed that she was asking me about the spirit that invites us to see each other as children of God. And she was looking for some clarity: Is the dignity movement really about seeing each other as children of God?

“Yes,” I blurted out. And then I quickly tried to explain. “We aren’t trying to convince anyone to join a religion.”  “Of course,” she answered. 

“But we are trying to awaken each other to the dignity that we’ve all been given,” I continued, “to the beauty of the human spirit that lies within each of us, no matter how badly we mess up. Is that what you mean?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “That’s what my faith is all about. Trying my best to love my Maker and my fellow human beings. I was just wondering if that’s what you’re really trying to teach.”

“I love the way you put it,” I said. “That’s what my faith is about, too. But it’s also a message for those who don’t share a faith because it’s completely practical and urgently needed right now, whether you’re a person of faith or not. Right?”

“I agree,” she said. “Thank you.”  

And with that, I raced to the airport.

As I thought about my exchange with this woman, I realized she was probing the heart of what makes dignity important. And I think she was right: the dignity movement asks us to see beneath the surface of judgments and opinions. For some of us, that is what faith helps us do. “The Lord does not see as humans see” (1 Samuel 16:7) is an oft-quoted verse from the Hebrew scriptures.  

And so too is teaching of Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8) Faith traditions at their best challenge us to see each other, not from the surface level, but rather from the heart—to see as God sees. And if today we want to treat people with dignity, especially people who’ve hurt us or done things that we abhor, we need to see from the heart too. 

Faith traditions—at their best—will also remind us that contempt and violence aren’t the way to solve problems. After the tragic politically motivated killings of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman in Minnesota, Amanda Ripley challenged political leaders to make a dramatic shift: "Condemning violence after the fact is not enough. We need a non-aggression pact that politicians can commit to for the future." It may take a little faith for a political leader to treat an opponent with dignity, but that’s exactly what the great commandments call for.

As my colleague Tom Rosshirt pointed out in this newsletter last week, we need to be reminded that if we have faith enough to treat each other with dignity, millions will respond positively. 

A few days ago, my son Tim sent me an Instagram post from Capt. Bobby, a Baltimore-based disabled veteran who owns a charter boat. Earlier in the week, Capt. Bobby posted that he thought the money spent on the recent parade celebrating the Army’s anniversary could have been better spent on children and the elderly. In response, he received both hateful and supportive messages.

But what struck me about Capt. Bobby’s post was about how confident he was in the goodness of people. Notwithstanding the contempt that was leveled against him, he saw a deeper reality. “Whenever you’re feeling down and sad about America… just remember that the great, great, great majority of Americans out there are people… who will call just to say I got your back. That’s the America we live in.”

I agree, Capt. Bobby. And so does the Bible.  

Where you get your inspiration matters less than the spirit of love and dignity that we’re all starving for right now. Maybe we all need a little faith to guide us in how to see with the eyes of that spirit and swear off the contempt and violence that threaten our families, our communities, and our country, too. The spirit of love and dignity doesn’t divide. And it’s the spirit that may well be the only thing that can heal the wounds of our time. 

Tim

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Dignity Updates

Tami was a panelist for the “Peacemaking, Dignity, & Civility” session at BYU’s Religious Freedom Annual Review, hosted by the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. The event brought together nationally recognized policymakers, scholars, and religious leaders to explore the role of religion and religious freedom in the United States. It was especially fun for her to spend time with her former friend and mentor (and boss!) Justin Harding, who was Governor Herbert’s Chief of Staff.

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Last Wednesday, Madeleine led a Dignity Index workshop for the Career Success staff at the University of Utah, which is one of several university groups engaging more deeply with the Dignity Index!

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