Even if we don’t actively seek out national news, it’s hard to ignore the headlines as we scroll through our phones. To say there’s disharmony across the land in this day and age would be an understatement.
It seems like people are constantly being placed into groups whether it’s political, socioeconomical, gender or religion, and the groups are pitted against each other. I’ve often wondered if that divide is artificially manufactured because it benefits certain entities to have lines of division between people.
If you think things are bad in this day, can you imagine what it was like living through the American Civil War in the 1860s? It truly was neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother. In my Heaven Intended Civil War series each story features a young lady and a young man on the opposite side of the Civil War. The one thing they have in common is their Catholic faith, so they set aside their differences and rely on that to help each other survive the war.
A World Such as Heaven Intended, book one in the series, is based on a true story. If Amara and Nathan were able to find common ground then, don’t you think we can in this day and age too? When you interact with people on social media who appear to be on the “other side,” keep the words attributed to Bernard Meltzer in mind: “Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.”
I have a theory that I can get along with just about anyone over a cup of coffee. So, if you want to really know what’s in a person’s heart or how they’ve arrived at their point of view, maybe consider meeting them at a coffee shop or share a cup of coffee or hot chocolate with them virtually. Who knows, over a toasty beverage you may discover that you aren’t really as far apart as you thought you were.
Want more Catholic teen fiction with characters that learn how to get along with others that might not seem to have much in common?
Mandy Lamb and the Full Moon: She's a half-sheep girl, he's a were-wolf. Can they find common ground and become friends?
3 Things to Forget (Bird Face series book four): What do a secretive Alaskan Jewish girl and her hearing-impaired brother find in common with an outspoken Catholic girl from Louisiana?
Roland West, Outcast: He's searching for the truth but is he ready to proclaim it when facing those who seem to have little in common?
The Perfect Blindside: When Jake and Sophie are forced to put aside their differences and work together to protect their town, they discover they have much more in common than they realized.
Brothers: Joe and 'K' seem to have nothing in common--except that they're running for their lives. Will they find common ground?
Child, Unwanted (Margaret of Castello): When abortion survivor Miri finds himself in hospital after a terrible accident, he feels totally unwanted. Will he find common ground with the mysterious Italian lady who keeps visiting him?
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