Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to see firsthand the work that Faith in Texas is doing to make Dallas a more just place. Tonight was a planning meeting for the group to discuss the upcoming legislative session, amongst other things.

When I started doing political campaigns, one thing I noticed is the attitude that many operatives have that winning is everything. No one ever advocated violating the law. It was ok, however, to push staff and volunteers past the point of burnout. It was ok to speak in unkind ways to others because nothing mattered except for winning. Many talented people have been forever turned off from civic life because of their experiences with political campaigns. That is a shame.

That is why I appreciate community organizing groups like Faith in Texas, as well as the other non-profits across the nation that are associated with the PICO National Network. They manage to balance the need for clear wins and clear progress with the need to humanize the work of social justice. In other words, they believe the ends are just as important as the means.

This is something that our society doesn't do well. All you have to do is read Facebook or YouTube comment threads to realize that people don't care about how they say something. We are not great at civil disagreement. Don't get me wrong, I believe there is a place for strong, assertive, prophetic speech. However, as I taught my students when I was an educator, the audience matters. You won't change hearts and minds with aggressive speech unless you have a relationship with your audience. Most of the time, honey will catch more flies than vinegar.