Seeds of Doubt

On Saturday morning our team was privileged to meet with two members from our host organization here in Derry/Londonderry. The content presented to us was on the topic of “Ethical & Shared Remembering” – in which the poignant phrase “sowing seeds of doubt” was used as a description of the organization's vision.

Much of the organization's heart is captured in this phrase and it carries with it a profound significance.

Protracted conflict oftentimes polarizes issues and enables individuals to develop and defend strong narratives surrounding the sources of conflict. As each person understands conflict from their own contextual experience with the affirmation of a surrounding community, a sense of tunnel vision easily sets in. In order to make sense of violence and trauma it is only natural to create ways in which to protect ourselves and the community we identify with.

It is from this place – I am convinced – that divided narratives emerge.

These senses of understanding are formed within and representative of a specific context and subsequently isolated from the alternative perspective of other communities or people groups. Contained within the walls of one’s community, the collective narrative and remembering/commemoration of events is not only simplified but also strongly reinforced. The longer this narrative circulates, the more mythologized it becomes.

It is in response to this firm grasp on the notion of “truth” that seeds of doubt are presented and sowed. Doubt is necessary not as a means of compromising truth but as a process towards a more holistic and full understanding of truth.

As diverse truths are shared – informed by the historical accounts of persons and events which informs current conflict – a process of deconstructing learned sectarian narratives is cultivated. In further creating and nurturing space for ethically informed and shared remembering a sense of togetherness and collaborative truth can emerge.

I am intrigued at this process of critically engaging the truths found in narratives from divided communities. Sensing and responding to doubt is a courageous endeavor. For those traumatized from violent conflict, allowing these seeds to take root is both challenging and highly subversive. The willingness to shift from absolutes to ethically collaborative understanding has profound impact on places of violence and division – be it in Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, or Chicago. While challenging and oftentimes deeply uncomfortable or painful, critical examination of “truth” and the biases from which it emerges is essential.

As we continue listening and learning in Northern Ireland, I hope to further explore the depths and significance of “sowing seeds of doubt.”

-David F. Potter