The Christian Science Monitor is a peculiar publication. It doesn’t exist simply to tell the news. It exists to prove the power of journalism to uplift the world – showing that one can engage with the news without losing hope or humanity. So every day, Monitor reporters and editors begin their day with a simple question: What does the world need most from the Monitor?

When we asked that question recently, the answer was to start a new project on respect. Why respect? Because while the high goal is to love one’s neighbor, sometimes a simpler first step is needed. In a time of historic partisanship and broad disinformation, even that simpler step of respect can seem prohibitively hard. Also, respect is complicated. Sometimes it is used as a cudgel to force submission as much as a waypoint to deeper love and understanding.

Starting today, the Monitor will examine the graces and complexities of respect in a half-dozen stories spread out over the next three weeks. We open with Harry Bruinius looking at what respect is and its historical importance to our public dialogue. Along the way we’ll look at education, politics, race, and the tension between religious and gay rights.

But most important, we will look for where respect is operating and how it can begin to open hearts and transform adversaries, revealing ways forward. We hope you will read along and share your feedback with us at editor@csmonitor.com.