'Healing the Heart of Democracy' emphasizes community in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Sometimes, the greatest revolution is a simple change of heart.

That message was a key part of the community strengthening performance Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer performed for more than 200 audience members Saturday evening at the musical and spoken word event “Healing the Heart of Democracy: A Gathering of Spirits for the Common Good.”

For two hours, Palmer, singer/songwriter Newcomer, and pianist Gary Walters performed at the First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids, sharing a message based around Palmer's recent book, “Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit.”

“Democracy is about valuing our differences and what can emerge from the dialogue of our differences,” Palmer said. “...We have to look for patches of common ground, no matter how small.”

Palmer, 74, is an author, speaker, and activist who founded the Center For Courage and Renewal based in Seattle. The Center offers resources, retreats, and programs aimed at nurturing “personal and professional integrity and the courage the act on it,” according to its website.

Palmer has written nine books, including “Let Your Life Speak,” “The Courage to Teach,” and “A Hidden Wholeness.”

He published “Healing the Heart of Democracy” in 2011. The book focuses on how to deal with political tension for the sake of the common good “without the shouting, blaming, or defaming so common in our civic organizations and faith communities today,” his website reads.

On Saturday, Palmer spoke on the importance of a key word in American vocabulary: community.

The event also shared the “Five Habits of the Heart That Help Make Democracy Possible,” including understanding we're all in this together, an appreciation of “otherness,” an ability to hold tension in life-giving ways, a sense of personal agency, and a capacity to create community. Newcomer's songs and Walters' music accompanied Palmer's words, weaving in between his short monologues to engage the audience in the lyrics.

The event was sponsored by the church, Matthew 25 Ministry Hub, Sarah Halbrook Olson, and The Gazette Company President Chuck Peters. It served as a benefit to support a new Habitat for Humanity house and Matthew 25 Ministry, which works in flood-impacted areas of Cedar Rapids.

“[We're here to] help just a little bit with the remarkable recovery Cedar Rapids is making,” Palmer said.