By Rev. Dr. David Mansfield
Retired Disciples of Christ pastor

Triple-digit temperatures across America, power companies on high alert for power grid failures, seniors going to cooling shelters, and fires raging in the West: the cause we are told is climate change. The earth is warming. Scientists propose solutions, but it is not easy getting everyone to agree and cooperate. The challenge is how do we cool things.

What is happening in our environment is also happening in our souls. Our tempers are flaring. Corporations keep pressing employees to do more with fewer workers, and people are stressed, in a hurry, and frustrated. Anger is very close to the surface as evidenced by the increase in violence across our land. I do not know what Jesus would say about climate change, but I do know what he would say about our souls. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to his disciples about slowing the decay and preserving the good when he said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 NIV). If Jesus were to give that sermon today. he would say, “You are the refrigerator.” That is how we preserve things these days; we chill them. So Jesus needs his followers to lower the temperature in the home, workplace, and community. How can we do this?

First, in a toxic work environment, humor can go a long way to defuse tensions and bring down the temperature. I admire people who have a quick wit about them and who can help us see the comedy in the everyday. As Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up bones.” The benefits of laughter in the workplace have been proven to lighten the mood, reduce stress, and create a greater sense of belonging. Another way to bring down the temperature is to cultivate gratitude. Instead of chafing at being stopped in traffic for construction, pause to give thanks for the workers who make our roads better. In our self-centeredness, we tend to take the roads and other infrastructure for granted.

Lastly, when we approach people with curiosity instead of judgment we open up positive interaction. When we ask questions that lead to better understanding, we make connections and build bridges that lower the temperature. Jesus was a master of defusing the angry Pharisees with questions and stories. He took the focus of their anger and shifted it to the bigger picture. We can do a lot to cool emotions by being a non-anxious presence and listening to others feelings with empathy.

So, in these hot summer days, let us be the chill that lowers the temperature in our social environment. Just be the refrigerator!