In a letter to the early church, James, the brother of Jesus, had some sage advice on our conduct. He said this “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Today we get it backward. Whether the topic is on race, human sexuality, foreign affairs, or what’s going on in Washington D.C., too many don’t fully listen and understand the issue. They’re quick to speak and give their opinion, and oh yes, then there’s lots of anger. Hardly the concoction for a civil society. If we’re to regain civility, we ought to listen to James because those words in his letter to the early church, which are almost 2000 years old, are just as relevant today.