Sarah Stewart Holland - I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations

PRAISE FOR I THINK YOURE WRONG (BUT IM LISTENING)

Sarah and Beth are an absolute gift to our culture right now. If you are weary of the political fury, division, and gridlock, this book will lay pavement for a better way. Not only do they offer balanced perspectives from each political ideology, but they teach us how to dialogue well, without sacrificing our humanity. I wish every citizen of the United States would read this book.

Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and founder of Legacy Collective

Every human has at least two superpowers. The first is the power to listen, and the second is the ability to extend grace. The problem is, many of us never find ways to access these, especially when it comes to our political positions. Now, with the release of this timely book, Sarah from the left and Beth from the right serve as our guides through conflict and complexity, delivering us into connection. I wish every person living in the United States would read this compelling book, from the youngest voter to those holding the highest office.

Emily P. Freeman, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Simply Tuesday and The Next Right Thing

The frequency with which I quote either Beth or Sarah tells me how much theyve influenced how I think about politics and how to engage in politics with civility and heart. This guide for how to engage in potentially-charged conversations as an informed citizenno matter how busy you are, no matter your stage in lifeis the grace-filled handbook our culture needs right now. Im so grateful for their wisdom and friendship.

Tsh Oxenreider, author of At Home in the World

For those overwhelmed and exhausted by the current, toxic state of political discourse in America, youre rightthere is a better way. Drawing from years of on-the-ground experience, Sarah and Beth unpack whats gone wrong and outline how we can begin to fix it, both in our hearts and in our communities. Their practical guide is full of exactly what long-time fans have come to expect, and new readers will quickly come to appreciate: no shouting, no insults, plenty of nuance.

Anne Bogel, creator of Modern Mrs. Darcy, host of the What Should I Read Next? podcast, and author of Reading People and Id Rather Be Reading

Civic life suffers when everyone is shouting. In this gentle but persistent book, Sarah and Beth nudge readers to listen from a place of curiosity, rather than judgement, to approach differences with a focus on grace, rather than gotcha moments. Highly recommended to anyone hungry for nuance.

Laura Vanderkam, author of Off the Clock and Juliets School of Possibilities

As a long-time listener of Sarah and Beths podcast, one of the things I loved about reading I Think Youre Wrong (But Im Listening) is that I know, without a doubt, that they are truly trying to live and put into practice the principles theyve outlined throughout the pages of the book. I love the emphasis on a nuanced approach to political conversationscoming not from party-centered divisiveness but from a place of wholehearted connection. At its core, this is a book about how to be a better human.

Ali Edwards, designer, blogger, and author

2019 by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the Amplified Bible, copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Epub Edition December 2018 9781400208425

ISBN 978-1-4002-0842-5 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-0841-8 (HC)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Holland, Sarah Stewart, 1981- author. | Silvers, Beth, 1981- author.

Title: I think youre wrong (but Im listening) : a guide to grace-filled political conversations / Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers.

Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, 2019.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018028669 (print) | LCCN 2018043331 (ebook) | ISBN 9781400208425 (e-book) | ISBN 9781400208418 (hardback)

Subjects: LCSH: Christianity and politics--United States. | Interpersonal relations--Religious aspects--Christianity. | Political culture--United States.

Classification: LCC BR516 (ebook) | LCC BR516 .H626 2019 (print) | DDC 261.70973--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018028669

Printed in the United States of America

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Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

To our children and our listeners,

who teach us grace every day.

Though we cannot think alike, may we not love

alike? May we not be of one heart, though we

are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we

may. Herein all the children of God may unite,

notwithstanding these smaller differences.

JOHN WESLEY, SERMON 39 FROM CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CONTENTS

O ver the past few years, conversations about politics have started feeling toxic and hopeless. People we sit in the pew with every Sunday have begun to feel like strangers, and loved ones sitting across our dinner tables feel like enemies. When the news becomes sensational, we know that our Facebook feeds will turn from sweet baby videos and sunny vacation snapshots to ugly memes and hate-filled rants. Folks we witness every day as loving and kind suddenly feel vengeful and angry when discussing presidential candidates. A person who you know would give you the shirt off their back becomes just as likely to tell you that youre whats wrong with America if you talk about a controversial headline.

Its exhausting, and its too much. Most of us know the issues are important, and we care about our communities and our countries. But we cant stand to fight with those we love or argue with those we barely know. We feel spiritually dehydrated as we reel from the latest headlines and try to separate fact from fiction, so weve just decided its best to tune it all out. But is it really? The two of us, perhaps like you, want to be part of a solution rather than accepting the current state of our politics as inevitable. This book is our attempt to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, as Colossians 3:12 amp advises, and find another way.