Christmas Eve has a way of slowing us down, whether we like it or not. The calendar forces a pause. The noise quiets. Even the most hard-charging litigators find themselves, at least briefly, reflecting on something larger than the next argument, the next brief, or trying to win the next case.
In that spirit, I want to do something a little different. I want to express genuine appreciation for some of the people I debate with, disagree with, and occasionally spar against in court and public forums. I am going to use good ole Steve Badger as my entry point.
Steve and I come from very different perspectives in the insurance world. That is not news to anyone who follows us. We disagree on many issues about claims handling, policyholder rights, and the role insurers should play when catastrophe strikes. We have debated each other on panels, exchanged pointed commentary, and no one would mistake us for collaborators despite mutual agreement on theoretical principles.
But here is the honest truth. Steve shows up. He does not hide behind anonymous talking points or pretend the other side does not exist. He engages. He listens. He responds respectfully. In an industry that too often talks past one another or pretends disagreement is a moral failing, that matters.
I have always believed that a successful system depends on strong and respectful opposing views. Iron sharpens iron. Good faith debate forces all of us to refine our arguments, check our assumptions, and occasionally admit we are wrong or, at least, not perfect in our view. Steve has forced me to be better prepared, clearer in my thinking, and more precise in articulating why policyholders deserve fairness. For that, I am genuinely thankful.
We often and surprisingly agree on points. That does not mean I fully agree with him. It does not mean I think all insurers always get it right. It does not mean I will pull punches when I believe policyholders are being treated unjustly. What it does mean is that disagreement does not require dehumanization. You can fight hard for what you believe without tearing down the people who disagree with you. Conviction does not require cruelty to others.
Those principles are not just professional courtesies. They are deeply Christian values appropriate for reflection on the evening of December 24.
Christ did not shy away from confrontation. He challenged power, exposed hypocrisy, and spoke hard truths. But he did so while reminding us that how we treat one another matters just as much as what we believe. Loving your neighbor does not mean abandoning your convictions. It means holding them without losing your humanity.
As lawyers, adjusters, insurers, contractors, roofers, insurance agents, and others in the property insurance claims business, we spend much of our lives in conflict. That is the nature of the work. Christmas Eve is a reminder that conflict is not the sum of who we are. We are also mentors, colleagues, parents, friends, and imperfect people trying to do what we believe is right.
So tonight, I raise a figurative glass to my opponents. To those who challenge me, sharpen me, frustrate me, and occasionally make me laugh. To Steve Badger and others like him who are willing to stand in the arena rather than shout from the cheap seats. Our debates matter. But so does mutual respect.
Tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of a teacher who changed the world not through force, but through example. If we carried even a fraction of his spirit into our professional disagreements, this insurance claims industry would be better for it.
Thought For The Day
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
—Jesus Christ
