Practicing civility in an uncivil age

In a time when public discourse is becoming coarser and more combative, believers have an opportunity to demonstrate Christian character by practicing civility. Civility is more demanding than manners. Manners are codes by which we move smoothly through the world and secure our place in society. Civility, on the other hand, has a moral component; it asks us to sacrifice for the wellbeing of the community. Civility is fueled by curious empathy and involves self-restraint. It falls into the domain Lord John Fletcher Mouton called the domain of “Obedience to the unenforceable.” The language we use and how we use language is a good barometer of how developed our civility skills are. Our task of building our capacity for civility is aided by an understanding of how we have become so politically divided as a nation. The Scriptures provide a sound rationale for building our capacity to practice civility. Biblical anthropology, instructions to the exiles in Babylon, along with texts about loving our neighbor and having regard for others in our congregations, all cast the qualities of civility as part of Christian character