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Clip 5 — begins at 49:04
Jeff Wright: So in Life-Changing Cross-Cultural Friendships, you’re suggesting to us that there’s a formula — even for these highly polarizing times that we’re in today, where I might disagree with you on some very deeply controversial subject — abortion or same-sex marriage, or, pick any of the topics, critical race theory. What are you saying to people in this book that will help us bridge those divides?
Gary Chapman: I think the reality of what we’re trying to do for Christians in particular — and we wrote this book, really, especially for Christians because if anybody’s going to do this, I think we have to take the lead, because we have a mandate from God to reach out to people of all cultures. And so, what we’re saying is, In spite of all the division that we have in this country, rather than putting people down that we disagree with, whether they’re the same race or a different race, let’s reach out and treat them with dignity and respect, which is what God does.
And if we can show friendship to each other, we can discuss our differences. And, you know, there’s three ways to solve differences. Sometimes, we can go to the other person’s side. We actually get convinced, Well, I think I’m wrong about this. That’s a logical way — that is a way to solve it. And sometimes we meet in the middle. And so, well, you know, Let’s agree on this and this, but, uh, and we can work together. And sometimes we just have to say, We have to agree to disagree on that. But, let’s walk together as friends, and let’s help each other as we grow in our relationship with God and with each other. That’s our vision.
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