Deepening the Well

Why I’ll occasionally speak to public life in this space

Communication matters. Conversation, not confrontation, leads to meaningful connection.

In recent months, I’ve found myself wrestling with something I suspect many of you are, too: how do we live and speak truthfully in a time that feels increasingly unstable—politically, socially, even spiritually?

King’s Chronicles has always been, at its heart, a writer’s search for meaningful communication in an age of noise, distraction, and disconnection. I’ve written about faith, courage, clarity, and the challenge of staying centered when the world feels anything but. That hasn’t changed. But lately, I’ve felt called to bring those values to bear on something I’ve previously only touched on lightly here: the state of our public life—what we often just call politics.

Let me be clear: I’m not becoming a pundit, nor is this newsletter shifting its focus into politics. I’m not here to tell you who to vote for or how to check every box on your ideological scorecard. Obviously, I have a viewpoint, and that is likely to show up in posts, but I’m not staking out a die-on-this-hill position.

Frankly, I’m suspicious of both major political parties in the U.S. and would rather not support either.

But I can’t pretend that the way we talk to each other (or fail to talk to each other) about the world we live in is separate from meaningful communication, or from ethical, courageous living.

Americans have always had our disagreements, but we could agree that we all worked toward the betterment and functioning of our country. In other words, we shared the same goal, but disagreed on how to achieve it. And while the situation is much more complicated in the rest of the world, I think I detect a worldwide trend.

In recent years, especially in this country, we have devolved into demonizing those with whom we disagree. I’m all about fostering connection, but demonizing the “other” fosters only division. After all, why try to understand someone who is simply stupid or evil? That distresses me on many levels.

But I have really hesitated to get into anything dealing with politics.

You’re not diluting your brand—you’re being faithful to it. Politics, when done well, is ethics in action, and you are already a guide for people trying to live more ethically, more courageously, and more clearly.

That generous insight, shared with me recently, gave language to what I’ve been feeling. The question isn’t whether to speak. It’s how, and from where.

So from time to time, I will reflect here on aspects of our shared civic life. Not to stir division, but to practice discernment. Not to generate heat, but to seek light. Take note: the root word of “politics” is the same root word for “polite.” If politics is the management of our shared values, then talking about it here isn’t a deviation from this newsletter’s purpose. It’s a deepening of the well.

Thank you for continuing to read, to reflect, and to wrestle alongside me. If what I write ever provokes more than just thought, if it stirs discomfort or disagreement, I only ask that we stay in the conversation with humility and grace.

After all, that’s how we cultivate meaning in the midst of noise.

Reading this in email or on the web? Join in the conversation either way.

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Donn King is The Confidence Cultivator. He is the author of The Sparklight Chronicles series of business parables (DonnKing.com/Books) and a retired professor of communication studies (which means “a professor of standing up in front of people and saying stuff”). He’s also a pastor, a speaker, and a communication coach. Reach out to donn@donnking.com to see how he could help you increase your impact, gain influence, and build your career.

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