People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
I like Martin Luther King Jr. a lot and I often agree with him. I agree with him to a degree with this quote but I disagree as well. It's true that ignorance can breed contempt. How many movies have been made in which a prejudice person witnesses the demise of their fear and hatred through personal interactions with the very people they hate? Gran Torino and American History X are excellent examples. People do tend to see what they have in common with each other through communication. When we connect with one another it becomes easier to recognize the One who looks through the eyes of our brothers and sisters (for he also looks through ours*). Theimago dei is easier to notice through vulnerable relationships. We're all human. We all have a lot in common according to nature and nurture. So yes, communication can dissolve much fear.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18).
When we love God we are free from fear of the fair judgment he brings. It makes sense then that when we love our neighbors we will fear them and what they may bring into our lives less. Communication is great but love is greater. Communication exists within love. Communication is an aspect of love that leads to deeper love. Just as prayer brings us closer to God so communicating with neighbors brings us closer to them.
Talking to one another helps us to come together. While coming together isn't the end goal it's a nice perk to loving one another. If we seek to love others by communicating with them in a humble, patient, kind, and vulnerable manner then we will eventually grow in love. We may not become best friends with our enemies through a few discussions (though sometimes we will) but we'll see the humanity of one another better and that's a plus.
To know someone is not merely to communicate with them but we can not truly know someone until we communicate with them. Let's talk to Samaritan women at the well, to the children who get in the way, to the Gentile who wants crumbs from the table of Hebrew, and everyone different from us. Whoever we fear, let us begin to love them by getting to know them, building a relationship through communicating with them. Let us start seeing what we have in common. Differences are good and we need to know them but if all we acknowledge are our differences then all we can have for one another is fear and disdain and those have no place in the heart of one who embraces the love of Christ.
*MewithoutYou refers to God when they sing "...the One who looks out from your eyes looks through hers and looks through mine" in their song Bullet to Binary Pt. 2 on their album It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!
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