Episode 37: How To Disagree With Love & Survive Difficult Family Gatherings with Kathy Khang, Co-Author of “Loving Disagreement”
When should we speak up, vs. just "let it go"? How do we love and honor both others AND ourselves well, even in the midst of conflict? How can we equip ourselves to navigate difficult conversations during the holidays?
Today, we sit down for a thought-provoking conversation with Kathy Khang, co-author of Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community through the Fruit of the Spirit with Matt Mikalatos (recently named Book of the Year 2023 by The Englewood Review of Books).
Join Grace & Kathy as they dive into cultural & generational nuances that affect how we approach conflicts and resolution, specifically with their own personal experiences as Asian American Christian women (and why that matters).
We also explore how to live out the fruits of the Spirit amidst conflict, practical wisdom and tips on how to love and honor others amidst disagreement (for those who need a survival guide for challenging family dynamics - especially during the holidays!), and learning to embrace the messy journey along the way.
What does it look like to love someone you disagree with?
In Loving Disagreement, Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos bring unique insight into how the fruit of the Spirit informs our ability to engage in profound difference and conflict with love.
As followers of Jesus are planted in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit grows and bears good things in our lives—and relationships and communities are changed.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Kathy Khang is the author of Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent & How to Speak Up and Alabaster Guided Meditations, Psalms Vol. 1 and 2, and a contributing author in More Than Serving Tea and Voices of Lament. She recently co-authored Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community through the Fruit of the Spirit with Matt Mikalatos, with whom she co-hosts The Fascinating Podcast. She's also a wife, mother of 3, and was previously a journalist and spent 20 years+ in parachurch ministry. You can learn more at http://www.kathykhang.com or connect with her on IG at @mskathykhang.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1:10 - Intro
3:55 - Nuanced experiences as an Asian American Christian woman
8:11 - What inspired "Loving Disagreement" and why it almost never happened
11:28 - Civility vs. Love
12:20 - How Kathy grew up relating to conflict in the Korean American church
15:50 - The responsibility of this book
17:10 - A powerful story NOT in the book that deeply impacted her
19:33 - Does every conflict need to be resolved? (Different approaches towards resolution considering cultural / generational nuances, e.g. "swallowing suffering")
24:45 - Peace-making vs. Peace-keeping (according to Jesus)
29:22 - The most challenging fruit of the Spirit / exercising self-control in the context of conflict
33:46 - Practical tips and important questions for anyone dreading family gatherings during the holidays
40:00 - The power of our words & what that means for each of us
42:27 - A prayer for you ❤️
And more…
Transcript
Coming soon