When the woman saw that she couldn’t escape notice, she came trembling and fell before Jesus. In front of everyone, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. (Luke 8:47, Common English Bible)
One of my parishioners gave me the book Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild three years ago. The book is the result of the sociologist Hochschild spending significant time in Louisiana speaking to Tea Party members to try to get a sense of why they believed what they did and why Donald Trump got elected. I read the first couple of chapters and couldn’t go any further. I had become part of our polarized nation and found myself getting angry when I read viewpoints that I strongly disagreed with. I asked myself the question that I think many ask when considering the views of someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum: How could they think this way?
I picked the book back up again a few weeks ago and I’m glad I did because I got to Chapter 9 and had one of those “a-ha” moments when you read something that clicks. The chapter is called Deep Story. Hochschild believes that when we try to figure out someone who votes or believes differently than we do, we sometimes tend to think intellectually and internally craft arguments that we’re just sure will convince the person to believe as we do. Hochschild says, however, that we can’t get a sense of another person until we get at least an inkling as to how they feel. Here’s how she describes what she calls a deep story (italics are hers): “A deep story is a feels-as-if story–it’s the story feelings tell, in the language of symbols. It removes judgment. It removes fact. It tells us how things feel. Such a story permits those on both sides of the political spectrum to stand back and explore the subjective prism through which the party on the other side sees the world. And I don’t believe we understand anyone’s politics, right or left, without it. For we all have a deep story.”
For we all have a deep story. I’m consistently moved by the way Jesus seemed to know/intuit that. So many times throughout his ministry, his understanding and empathy seemed to penetrate superficial labels and stereotypes until he knew the person deeply. The woman in Luke 8 is one example. Not only did Jesus heal her, but his presence invited her to explain who she was and why she was moved to touch the hem of his garment.
I don’t know quite yet what to do with this information about a person’s deep story. My internal dialogue wrestles with the “But what about?” scenarios. But what about the racist? But what about the callous opportunist? But what about the unjust politician? Do they have deep stories? Should I try to understand them? I want to say, “No!” Jesus, however, might have had a different answer.
This is not to say that we make nice and go along with a person with whom we have deep disagreements and worldviews. Following Jesus means we also center those who he mentions in the Beatitudes (eg, the poor, those who hunger for righteousness, the peacemakers). But this insight about a person’s deep story and Jesus’ example reminds me that the other person with whom I disagree is human. They have fears and anxieties. I may not see it right away and I might disagree strongly. But they do have a deep story and, if I follow Jesus, it means I also am led to listen.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash