Episode 209 - Thoughts On Reverence And Democracy

After reading Paul Woodruff’s book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue, I found myself thinking about the concept of reverence and what it means in modern society. Woodruff defines it as equal parts awe, respect, and shame. What I walked away with after lots of time spent thinking about the concept is this: Reverence, which has nothing to do with religion, is perhaps the single most important foundational element in modern society. Woodruff elegantly ties together reverence, and ceremony, and community, pointing out that we revere the ceremonies that define a community, because they stand for who and what we are as a family, a town, a nation, or a business. When reverence disappears, ceremony becomes meaningless ritual. My contention is that the intransigent polarization that we’re currently experiencing is happening because of a loss of reverence. I don’t have to agree with the other side’s position, but I do owe them my respect, which manifests as my willingness to listen to what they have to say—again, even if I don’t agree. Please listen to this episode, and then help me start a conversation. This, I believe, is important. You can download the script of this program here: https://steven-shepard.com/2023/03/09/thoughts-on-reverence-and-democracy/.