Autumn: Today we're exploring "Building a Bridge" by James Martin, a guide to mending deep, painful divisions, starting with the gap between the institutional Catholic Church and its LGBT members. Autumn: What’s the problem here? It’s that feeling of being caught between worlds, misunderstood or unseen within a group that should feel like home – maybe a team at work that feels cliquey, or even family tensions. For LGBT Catholics, it's often feeling rejected by their faith community. This disconnect creates hurt, mistrust, and forces heartbreaking choices. For anyone facing division, it means isolation and walls going up where connection should be, draining energy we need for our busy lives. Autumn: So, how do we fix it? The book proposes building a "two-way bridge," grounded in practical actions. It starts with Respect. This isn't just polite tolerance; it’s truly seeing the other person beyond labels, acknowledging their dignity, using language that affirms them, and recognizing the unique value they bring. Think about moving past assumptions. Then, cultivate Compassion. This means actively listening to understand someone else's experience—their pain and their joy. It requires standing with them, especially when they face rejection. It’s about trying to grasp the pressures and humanity on the other side, even when you feel hurt or disagree. Finally, practice Sensitivity. This is about real empathy – tuning into the impact your words and actions have, acknowledging how past hurts might linger, and consciously creating spaces where people feel genuinely safe to be themselves. Building this bridge takes intentional effort from both sides, recognizing it's a shared project, not a one-way street. Autumn: Here’s your takeaway: Think about one relationship, maybe with a colleague or relative, where you feel that disconnect. Tonight, instead of reacting defensively or pulling away, pause. Ask yourself: How could I approach our next interaction with more genuine sensitivity? What might happen if I truly tried to understand their feelings, just for a moment, without planning my response? That small shift can be the first plank laid across the divide. Autumn: Until next time, this is Autumn with Five Percent Happier, helping you build bridges, one conversation at a time.