Five weeks ago, we published an article ahead of the Republican Convention. Today, the Democratic convention begins, and we offer the same invitation: in the face of uncertainty and fear, we can sow hope and peace by practicing democracy in our own voice and our own communities.

To that end, we once again encourage you to assemble your own conventions! And we have some thoughts about how to do that.

This week, gather people of faith together for intentional conversation about the Democratic Party’s platform. The group does not need to be big, and it does not need to be homogenous; invite anyone who has a belief system that frames their values and vision.

The Democrats have announced general themes for the four days of the convention. We expect they will cover such issues as the economy, jobs, health care, the criminal justice system, and climate change.

For the People
A Bold Vision for America's Future
A Fight for Our Freedoms
For Our Future

Share with your group about one of these issues or themes. Encourage each member of your group to speak from their center, rather than argue with a particular position or candidate.

Practice democracy by polling the group to see which theme concerns people the most. If there is consensus, begin with that issue. If there is diversity, begin by allowing each person to speak on the issue that concerns them the most.

Consider using these guidelines: First, everyone should bring their faith tradition to bear on the issue by referencing a creed, scripture, practice, teaching, etc. Second, provide some structure for the sharing; for instance, give everyone two minutes to talk, and assign a timekeeper. Third, do at least several rounds of sharing where there is no cross-talk and everyone is listening deeply to the speaker; you can open a freer discussion once everyone has been heard on each issue.

Other ideas for practicing democracy with your faith community can be found in this article.