"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger - something better, pushing right back."      ~ Albert Camus

These days, the word #resist seems to have gained favor within the forces organizing to safeguard and protect intrinsic values that many believe are increasingly coming under attack. Resistance is an important principle on which our very nation was founded. Our Framers echoed the theme with such grand promises of freedom, liberty and justice for all. 

But while most original patriots were seemingly willing to lay down their lives in the name of resistance for the cause of freedom, those times were far simpler. The enemy of the state were distant-reaching countries who fought to exert and maintain economic and military control over our nation's nascent dominion. They wore different uniforms, sometimes spoke different languages, and they answered to a different monarch. Nowadays, however, we appear more to be a house divided than a nation under attack. And what do we hope to gain from such calls for resistance within our own house? Do we expect these opposing forces to yield? To call it quits and move on to something else? To simply roll over? Hardly.

Resistance begets resistance, to paraphrase Newton. The harder we push against something, the harder it pushes back. That's not where progress is made. Resistance has its place. Holding true to principles. Standing up for what's right. But real progress comes not from a simple place of resistance but a place of reconciliation. When two people of similarly strong-willed yet diametrically opposite opinions enter a confrontation we often see an irresistible force meeting an immovable post. A conundrum. Both sides resist. Neither side yields. No progress can be made. Yet when we open our minds and hearts to listen without forsaking our principles, suspending our judgments, this is the juicy part when progress can be made.

Resistance is often a necessary part of growth. It is not growth unto itself. A seed is buried below ground and pushes up against the soil in order to reach for the sun and grow. It gains strength along the way. The real growth comes from how the seed uses the soil as an anchor for its roots so it can grow taller. Yes, resistance is necessary, but growth happens when there's reconciliation. When the seed and the soil reconcile. When we realize that the forces at work against our values often want the same things as us -- to be happy, have our basic needs met and feel loved -- we can challenge ourselves to find a third way to arrive at the goals we share. Real courage comes not from standing in your principles but being open to others who don't share your views.

So maybe Camus' invincible summer in the midst of winter was a good reminder that resistance is in fact a necessary component of progress. But anyone can resist. Not everyone can make progress. Find the courage to lean in. Be curious. Suspend judgment. Keep your emotions in check. When it feels like there's no way forward, remember that we all want the same things. And find the third way. Where there are hearts and minds that are open and willing to listen, there is always a third way. Find your way in. That's how we build strong communities.

Resist, reconcile, progress, growth.