Focolare Movement

United States: finding unity in a polarized world

Sep 19, 2025

Politically on opposite sides, Phil and Laura share the charism of unity and a commitment to living the Gospel every day. From this they draw strength and hope to overcome polarization and engage in dialogue to build, among themselves and with many others.

Violence – even verbal violence – seems to be increasingly characteristic of our age. On social media, divisions go viral and create even more hatred, accentuate polarization and shut the door on dialogue. It is not easy to break out of this cycle. Phil lives in Tucson, Arizona, and Laura is from Boston. Politically, they are on opposite sides, but they share the charism of unity and a commitment to living the Gospel every day. Here they recount how they have experienced that not only words, but also sincere listening can open gaps in the walls of the most stubborn convictions.

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