Some of you may have taken civics classes when you were going through school. Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. For example, we would consider voting for our elected leaders to be both a right and an obligation. Today I would like to discuss civility. This word carries a somewhat different but related meaning. Civility can be defined as formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech, without qualification. When I say, without qualification, it means that we are to treat others with politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech both when we agree and when we disagree with them. The proper way to exercise our rights and obligations as citizens of the United States is by pursuing positive, constructive, and yes, polite and courteous conversation with other people. Christians should lead the way in both civility and civics.
