For me, reading comments sections on blogs and online articles is like watching Independence Day: by the time I'm at the end, everything has blown up. Religion and politics tend to carry the shortest fuses.
My thought is a very basic one that I stole from a guy named Tony Jones, a bigwig in the Emergent village, and the "Emergent conversation." One of the distinctives of this thing called "Emergent" is that everything (or almost everything) is "on the table." Nothing is taken for granted, and everything is open for discussion. This is scary and often downright offensive to many of its critics. This is what appeals to me.
I heard a talk he gave where he said that one of the most essential aspects of this "nothing's off the table" conversation (which occurs between various church leaders around the country) is that it began, and continues in what he called "the envelope of friendship." What keeps the conversation going, it sounds like, is the relationship. Otherwise, I wonder if it would have died off years ago, as soon as disagreements about important (and sensitive) issues caused people to repel each other like magnets.
In online discussions of religion and politics, there is no relationship between the commentators. And so often, it shows. Degradation, insults, disrespect... all rampant.
I hope that anyone who reads this will, when blogging or commenting, always remember that relationship is more important than winning in a discussion, or making sure one's point gets across, or being right. Keep first things first: relationship is always more important than whatever you feel, in the moment, is more important. If we work on developing good relationships, and have discussions within the context of those relationships, then we should feel safe bringing up any kind of question, doubt, thought.
In the best relationships, there will be no fear. And if there is truly no fear, I cannot help but suspect the presence of love (see 1 John). And love ought to be the distinctive of Christians. Not winning, not being right. Love. Let's apply love to our online activity as well. And encourage others to do the same, in word and deed.
