After reading online rants, bashing blogs and inflamatory editorials by authors spewing venom over coffee, hub caps or the price of gas I realize that I long for civil discourse. I'm not against a person making their complaint in a creative way using exaggeration to make their point. What I object to is the person who doesn't agree with George Bush, or the president of the PTA, or the coach of the little league their kid plays for and so they criticize by calling someone a baby killer, a bookish snob or a nazi.

I realized today while I was taking my morning walk that some authors take delight in belittling another viewpoint using language like weapons. In so doing they sometimes show that maybe they don't really understand the issue. For example, I recently saw someone using the phrase, "greedy Republicans." Of course that is an argument waiting to happen. Immediately I began to think of democrats who were greedy, and independents that were greedy and republicans who were not greedy and so on. Does the Republican Party have a corner on greed? I think not. I have voted republican or democrat depending on the person running and I would admit that I have been somewhat greedy at times in my life and my political persuasion didn't have much to do with it.

I was talking with one of my sons recently about authors that we like and it occurred to me that one of the most winsome things about Brian McLaren's writing is that he seems to have tried to understand the other guy. A lot of people need a book that helps us get out of our hate speak long enough to understand another person and what that person is like and what they're trying to say or do.

Civil discourse. Can we be civilized in our conversation with others? Can we listen with interest? Can we be persuasive with our words? Can we give someone an intelligent reason for what we believe? Can we accept that person who doesn't agree with us or do they only have worth if we can get them to believe like us?

I think everybody needs an old man. Not just any old man. Not an old man who has become more and more like Archie Bunker in his prejudices. But an old man who listens and considers and asks questions and has some discernment and wisdom. Not an old man who forces his "good advice" on you but someone who can diagnose like a good motorcycle mechanic and offer a suggestion or two as a fellow struggler.