Tension: The Engine of Change
Tension is the engine of change: This was the theme of my late summer presentation to student leaders from across the state of Michigan preparing to return to campus this fall. The event (participants pictured above) was organized by Protect Life Michigan (PLM). While Scott Klusendorf of Life Training Institute provided apologetic training, I had been asked to address using these skills to reach individuals and influence culture. My thesis: To instigate change requires tension. So long as individuals are comfortable with their worldview, they will see no reason to alter or exchange it for a better one. If we want to see people change, we must make them uncomfortable with their own view. This is not hard to do. There are many things the abortion advocate champions—such as equality and human rights—which are destroyed by the worldview he holds. Our task is to demonstrate this to him—to show him that his view and his deeply seated values cannot coexist. This places the