Dirk Wollenweber from Peiting is a pastor and knows what concerns people. In the interview, he talks about why debates are heating up so quickly at the moment.
We asked him why the mood in society seems to be changing so much. We can manage to find our way back into a sensible discourse, he says. We live in a time of a lot of uncertainty. For example, we don't know what will happen to our environment or the war in Ukraine. This gives people the feeling that the security they have always felt is suddenly shattered. That's understandable, because when what I've always trusted, what gives me security, is suddenly at risk, then I feel insecure. Maybe even more panicked. The question is how we deal with fear. The tone becomes rougher, as you noticed. The fear of this plays a role for many people, consciously or unconsciously. Many people seek confirmation for their own opinions. It is important for self-efficacy and resilience to know that others think the same way you do. A discourse is often conducted quickly and violently, where I always miss a bit of conversation culture. People who come to me because they feel alone with their opinions and needs are sometimes even deeply bitter because they are not being heard. I try to find resources with these people. These are often very small steps and ideas that people can take to help them get out of their big, overwhelming situation. If you remove a little water from one place, the level in the entire bathtub drops. Sometimes it is possible to find such moments in pastoral care. This could mean that people do something that is good for them more often. Or vice versa, leave things that are not good for you out of your life. This is something we need to practice again. It's very difficult for us to enter into a discussion. We need to find our way back into sensible debates.