We still do not have a clear answer to the question, “America, who are we?”
At the time of this writing, I do not know the winner of the presidential election or the final outcome regarding control of the U.S. Congress. For the purpose of this column, it really does not matter.
This week revealed an indisputable and alarming fact: The United States of America remains deeply divided.
While many thought the division in the United States was declining, the opposite seems to be true. It is not only growing but becoming more intense.
If left alone, this divide will continue to widen, leaving the future of the country severely compromised. As people of good faith attempting to be peacemakers in the very best sense of the word, what can we do to help bridge the deep divide before us?
After the 2016 election, my predecessor at EthicsDaily, Robert Parham, encouraged Christians to walk humbly and be kind. He even went as far as offering tangible suggestions:
- Refrain from claiming God’s candidate won.
- Don’t crow that your candidate won. Don’t blame the winning candidate for voter fraud.
- Back away from thinking the sky is falling or that manna is raining down from heaven.
- Take the presidential bumper stickers off your car.
- Discard your yard signs.
- Stop the name-calling.
- Take a sabbatical from cable “news.”
- Live simply so that others may simply live.
- Pay forward goodwill.
- Walk humbly, love kindly, seek justice.
- Love your neighbor as you ought to love yourself.
- Honor your Christian faith by respecting other faiths.
We would all do well to heed Parham’s advice.
No one is suggesting the deep divide in the country will be mended overnight or be easy to bridge. However, as people of good faith, we must try, even if it is difficult.
Jesus reminded his followers that following him would not be easy: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:12-13).
With our ballots cast and the results still pending, we are still left with my question from last week: “Who are we?”
What we say and how we act over the course of the next few weeks will provide us with an answer. Therefore, walk humbly and be kind to one another.
