In his letter to parishioners in the Sept. 6 parish bulletin, the Rev. Gary Regula, pastor of St. Jerome Catholic Church in Phoenix, urged church members to talk more with one another.

This should to be done in spite of all the bitterly divided political positions that limit our conversations these days. 

“We, as a people, need to dialogue more, which involves us listening to the other person— not merely with our ears, but with our hearts,” Regula said in the bulletin. “Our country has devolved into a place that is bitterly divided and polarized. No one listens when the other talks. Finding common ground is like seeing a unicorn— it is non-existent."

So how can we strike up conversations with our neighbors when so many topics of conversation have become too politicized, Regula wondered. What is it that we can actually talk about?

It is a given that we cannot talk about politics, because people are so bitterly divided, he said. Now we find ourselves in a place where once-safe topics– religion, the weather, our health and sports— are also likely to set off heated discussions.

Regula urged his parishioners to recognize that we have a problem. Rather than staying away from each other or worrying about defending our beliefs and political positions, he recommended drawing back and listening. 

“Maybe we can listen to the wind blowing before a rainstorm (or lack-of-rain around here)," he said. "We can block out the noise for a moment and hear the birds that sing us awake, inviting us into a new day. We can listen to a baby as it cries out in need and we can then put a smile on our faces that we are the ones that can reach out with love. Most importantly, we can listen for the voice of God. It won’t be there when we are shouting at one another, as God will be in the quiet, whispering sound.

“The voice of God will be the one inviting us to try and live together on this one planet called Earth, as we are interdependent upon each other. May we stop yelling at each other with hatred, and instead seek to talk with each other. If we are able to do that, it sure would be something to talk about with everyone we meet."