Guide Creator Philip Yancey Explains How To Discover Frequent Floor On Social Media

Close-up photo of hands and stacks of young people. A group of friends of various races gathered on the beach. … [+]Your hands are tied.

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The Internet was an open forum for discussing subtle differences of opinion. I’ve seen this myself countless times. You will get into heated discussion if you have a different opinion on politics and religion than someone else. A book author suggests how this perception can be changed.

Philip Yancey, a well-respected author, published his first book in October. I picked it up as the top trend book of the year because I’ve seen so many reviews and ratings on digital platforms (almost all reviews are positive), but also my own appreciation for the author’s moving account of his life path.

I can relate to it on many levels, especially since I’m going to be publishing my first book in a couple of weeks. (Yancey, on the other hand, is the author of 25 books. He has seen many benefits of social media, especially in reaching new people. He is most active on Facebook, where there are opportunities to chat with readers.

“Social media is a great way to express yourself, but you need to find a way to do it with integrity,” he says. “I often start with topics and people that are difficult to deal with, such as Bishop Desmond Tutu or Deitrich Bonhoeffer. I prefer to go to the more timeless topics and avoid stepping into the negative comments and chatting back and forth. “

Talking about love and showing respect to others was one of the topics we discussed. I joked that we get into debate on social media when we choose certain people we love or don’t love and that this is not a good way to develop common ground. Everyone is worth loving, regardless of their differences.

“It’s hard for us, especially for writers, because it’s not intuitive to hit our own drums,” he says. “We want to rely on the effect of our words.” We both agreed that social media could help us, but it has also become an obstacle at times, especially as writers and writers.

For me, it is the nuanced decomposition of opinions that has given rise to most of the arguments; E.g. the people who agree with something I have written for the most part but disagree with a comment. As director JJ Abrams once said, “We live in a moment where everything seems to be instantly outraged. There is a MO where either it is exactly as I see it or you are my enemy. It’s a crazy thing that there is such a norm that seems to be devoid of nuance and compassion …. we knew that every decision we made would please someone and make someone angry. “

Yancey takes a similar view when it comes to social media.

“Once you explain a position, the other side won’t listen and you will be judged. I’d rather show mercy to people who are so marginalized these days, ”he says. “By not taking a position on certain red flags, nobody can pin me down. It takes some bridge builders and some reconcilers. In our divided society we do not find many people who see this as their calling, but for me it is my calling. “

Ultimately, that is the greatest challenge. It can lead to widespread discord and disputes over nuances. Or it can open up opportunities to build healthy relationships and ultimately find common ground.

Yancey’s position on reconciliation is good. We can all hope to share this spirit and not deconstruct the views of others.