The Power of "And"

I recall a leadership seminar where the presenter suggested using the word “and” in place of the word “but.” Used this way, “and” kept the conversation going and opened up new possibilities for dialogue.  Not bad advice.  I’d like to suggest using “and” in place of a different word: “or.”  We live in a culture that requires us to reject one thing in order to hold to another.  Our culture gives us just one brush to paint people, events, and ideas.  A person is good or bad.  An event is understandable or terrible.  An idea is brilliant or foolish.  

I think this binary way of thinking is partly responsible for the divisions we’re facing in our country and even in the American Church.  Perhaps it would help if we used the word “and” instead.  While sin is always wrong, the people who commit sins are both sinners and saints.  There is evil in the best of us and goodness in the worst of us.  Most ideas have some merit and  some weaknesses.  It doesn’t make every idea worth pursuing or every person worth trusting.  But maybe if we started looking for the “and,” we would come to understand each other a little better.  We could disagree without malice.  We could reach different conclusion with common respect.