The world is full of people hungering to be heard and understood.

It seeks communication that builds bridges, strives to understand, perceives the heart of the matter, focuses on reconciliation, unites and loves more.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be involved in interfaith work this year. This helpful document (see below), created by Mark Gerzon and Rachel Kessler, highlights the distinct roles of dialogue and debate in discourse.

Have you ever debated with someone — like a family member, colleague, or even in comments on a blog post — when you really meant to be in dialogue with them? I have.

Sometimes I ended up trying to “win” a conversation, when what I really wanted was a conscientious conversation that healed the heart and respectfully acknowledged all sides of an issue.

Sometimes I get swept up in debate when I know dialogue will really help find solutions and bring healing.

We constantly need to be reminded of communication skills necessary for fostering respectful discussions of ideas.

We share something in common with everyone even though we are unique. We are blessed by getting to know one another and engaging in constructive dialogue.