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Good morning. In 1973 a landmark decision of the American Supreme Court ruled that a pregnant woman could choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Monday’s unprecedented leak from a draft Supreme Court opinion suggests that ruling may be about to be overturned. Those who voted for former president Donald Trump not because they admired him, but because of his promise to nominate pro-life justices, stand to be vindicated. This is a very American story, because of the pattern of resolving such issues through the courts rather than through legislation, because of the culture wars that turn every painful personal issue into a polarising public battleground, and because of the way dogmatic positions pervade public life. But let’s not kid ourselves that this isn’t a UK story as well. Beneath the passionate and profound arguments lies a crucial question. How are we to live together with people with whom we profoundly disagree? Just think of Brexit or a united Ireland. How are we to flourish in a world where people differ even on the definition of the word flourish? Here's one notion of politics. It’s the manipulation of law, legislation, and public opinion to get as much of what you want as you can, and protect yourself from others seizing it back from you. You fight your way to the driving seat and then take the car as far as you possibly can before you’re thrown out. Who cares how much wreckage you leave behind so long as you’re convinced you’re in the right? We’d all like to distil complex issues down to straightforward right and wrong. But there’s more than one kind of right. Sometimes you can be so preoccupied about being right on an issue that you miss the way you’re creating the wrong kind of society. Here’s another notion. Politics is the creation of consensus through identifying what safeguards everyone needs to build trust and take the risk of entering previously uncharted territory together. In listening to differing views you develop respect, humility and wisdom. You renounce the urge for personal righteousness or the exertion of your own will, but gain community, compassion and companions. When St Paul named the fruits of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, he was saying these qualities indicate the right kind of society. These are a measure of whether a community is flourishing. Sometimes we can become so passionate about ensuring our view prevails we can end up becoming people and communities where none of these nine fruits are apparent. What then have we gained by being so sure we’re in the right?