Grace in the Gray
A More Loving Way to Disagree
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
By approaching disagreements in a more loving way and seeing the grace and good in those who hold differing viewpoints, you'll gain a deeper understanding of others, yourself, and God—from the bestselling author of Finding God's Life for My Will.
“Written with just the right amount of humor, reflection, and heart, Grace in the Gray shows us how to focus on the people we may disagree with more than focusing on the issue at hand.”—Mac Powell, Grammy Award–winning singer and songwriter
In a culture where constant offense and polarization dominate so many interactions, here is good news about a more productive way to disagree: God desires for us to become better at loving others . . . not better at debating.
Grace in the Gray helps us see the grace and good that’s often hidden by our own limited perspectives and assumptions. Through a collection of personal stories and biblical insights, Mike Donehey reveals a four-stage process to help you
1. subjectify those you’ve objectified
2. empathize with those you’ve vilified
3. humanize those you’ve deified
4. see why your posture is as essential as your position
In relationships, professional settings, and social situations, discover how to focus on the person standing before you more than the argument set against you. Doing so gives you the rare ability to face any conflict with better questions, kindness, and the calming posture of curiosity.
It all begins by learning to listen and lead with the most transformative substance the universe has ever known . . . God’s love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Donehey (Finding God's Life for My Will), vocalist and guitarist of now-defunct Christian band Tenth Avenue, outlines in this clear-eyed guide his philosophy of using humility and kindness to ease conflict. As he makes clear, it's not about seeking false harmony but rather learning to lovingly tolerate disagreement, because "even when... our arguments foolproof, if our postures are crooked, it won't matter much in the end." To that end, Donehey maps out four aims for every argument: "1. subjectify those we've objectified, 2. empathize with those we've vilified, 3. humanize those we've deified, and 4. see that our posture is just as important as our position." In doing so, the author contends, and removing simplified, objectified labels—in other words, not defining others by their viewpoints—it's easier to view those who hold different viewpoints as worthy of compassion. For readers exhausted by a divisive and reactive culture, Donehey's call to love one's neighbor will serve as a balm. Christian readers will be buoyed by Donehey's heartening message that "when we can admit we're wrong but aren't defeated by it, we are set free from shame."
