I’ve been an admirer of Parker Palmer’s work and writing for a long time. When the first edition of Healing the Heart of Democracy was published, it called out to a longing in my soul, and I rushed to get my hands on a copy. As my eyes hung on the words with care and consideration, I sensed something special unfolding in the pages. Something sacred also began unfolding in my heart.
It inspired the beginning of a long and unending process of change in my life. That change was first ignited within me and eventually began to impact my external engagement with the world. It softened my edges, eased my judgements, ignited a genuine curiosity toward people with different views.
It also compelled me to jump into the work of civil discourse and be one small part of encouraging a more healthy democracy from the inside out- a democracy in which people might encounter difference in a spirit of dignity, compassion and respect.
When Parker recently released an updated version of the book, with consideration to the toxically divisive times we’re currently in, I purchased it, because I knew I needed to let those blessed words sink into me all over again.
As before, I was deeply moved by his vision of how we could be living in community together. In a time of constant vitriol and finger pointing, Parker reminds me that the healing of the world only truly happens if we are willing to engage in the difficult work of getting healthy within our own hearts.
I invited him to a conversation with the Wheat & Willow community about the current state of political engagement in the United States and ways we can work towards healing the heart of our democracy. I was thrilled when he enthusiastically agreed to do so.
An hour at the feet of this man who speaks wisdom with a clarity and compassion born out of 85 years of living and learning is truly a rare and precious gift. Hold it carefully. Don’t spill it. Do not let it slip through your fingers and fall.
This is one of those books I urge people to read in community, because together we can live more courageously into a new way of being. There’s a wonderful discussion guide in the back of the book to come alongside you in that process.
Here’s the book description from the Center for Courage & Renewal website:
In Healing the Heart of Democracy, Parker J. Palmer quickens our instinct to seek the common good and gives us the tools to do it. This timely, courageous and practical work—intensely personal as well as political—is not about them, “those people” in Washington D.C., or in our state capitals, on whom we blame our political problems. It’s about us, “We the People,” and what we can do in everyday settings like families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations and workplaces to resist divide-and-conquer politics and restore a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
In the same compelling, inspiring prose that has made him a bestselling author, Palmer explores five “habits of the heart” that can help us restore democracy’s foundations as we nurture them in ourselves and each other:
An understanding that we are all in this together
An appreciation of the value of “otherness”
An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways
A sense of personal voice and agency
A capacity to create community
Healing the Heart of Democracy is an eloquent and empowering call for “We the People” to reclaim our democracy. The online journal Democracy & Education called it “one of the most important books of the early 21st Century.” And Publishers Weekly, in a Starred Review, said “This beautifully written book deserves a wide audience that will benefit from discussing it.”
To learn more about Parker and his work, visit the Center for Courage & Renewal. There are many additional resources available on the website!
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