Adapted from E10 of The Deepening Place Podcast: Divided We Fall, The Power of Curiosity
The country is in a crisis moment; we won’t be the same after this. We have the option: grow toward Life and have a golden vision or keep fighting amongst ourselves and descend into darkness. I don’t think we really have the luxury to say, “I don’t believe that” anymore. I’m really tired of hearing people say, “Oh, I don’t believe that,” and dismissing someone else’s concern or perspective.
I’m seeing families and relationships torn apart over differences of belief. In this challenging time when fear is high and the voices that fill us with fear are loud, I encourage people to find common ground. Especially with family and loved ones. Even if the common ground is the size of a dinner plate, hold onto each other.
Belief is the lazy man’s version of the Truth. Truth is a constant pursuit. Jesus said, “The Truth shall set you free;” not a political party or candidate, not main stream media, not the people followed on Twitter or Instagram. Any belief I have is subject to being disproven, adjusted or updated. Living in this state of flow allows me to remain open to the thoughts and opinions, the actual life experience of other people.
As humans, curiosity is our superpower. When we can allow ourselves to move beyond our mind, our fear and judgment, we drop down into a deeper place. I’ve heard stories of Einstein, Nikola Tesla…these great thinkers; they would work and work and then have to take a break because their brain was full. It was on those breaks that it would finally all come together for them. 
That’s based on curiosity; I’m not relying so much on intaking knowledge, I’m letting it drop down to a place where I can just let it swirl with all that’s known and be curious about it and use my imagination to come up with solutions.
When we’re bullied into shutting off that curiosity and compelled to pick a side or a belief, we cut ourselves off from that superpower we have and become stagnant. Instead of working together and considering each other, we close ourselves off with people who think like we do, who confirm our beliefs.
Consider the infinity symbol; that sideways figure eight.
In relationship there is a flow from one side to the other; life and energy. That tiny point in the middle is where the union is; it’s really fragile if you think about the structure. When people start reversing that flow, going their own way, and stop considering each other, it just becomes two circles; the union is lost. Before long they’ve drifted so far apart, there’s no real hope of reconciliation.
Curiosity allows us to turn toward each other and maintain that flow. That’s why it’s so important on an individual level to get curious within our own heart (self-love), in our relationships with family and loved ones, and also in relationship to people in the world who have different beliefs and opinions than us. If we don’t maintain that curiosity and keep wondering and searching for the truth, we’re going to be divided, drift far apart and stagnate.
In the end we’ll become a casualty of our lack of union. One of my teachers, Richard Rohr says, “transformation comes through great love or great suffering.” We get to choose.
If we keep going toward division, we’ll break apart, maybe have a civil war, implement Socialism; we’ll go through some great suffering. We could, however, make the choice to turn toward each other, meet in the middle and have a Love Revolution.
I’m hoping for the latter.