If we were to look at American history honestly, we would see that there have been very few times when we have been united. I’m not talking about disagreeing or dissenting – this is part of the human condition, and the beautiful thing about this country is that dissent is patriotic. We were born in opposition to having a king and of not having a say in our governance, even though we were paying taxes and subject to unjust laws. We almost split over the obvious idea that no person should own another person, but – again, to be honest – our foundational document only gave rights to white, land-owning men, so, over time, we had to amend that document a number of times to give everyone rights. The 20th century, though, was an up and down journey that forced us to figure out that all people, regardless of faith or gender or sex or politics, are meant to be free and equal.
Maybe I was naive, but I thought we agreed in that equality principle, yet we see a number of states taking rights away from certain segments of our population. We used to agree that the leadership of Russia was dangerous, yet many Americans have more respect for their totalitarian aspirations than they do for the “other” party in this country. We used to agree that terrorism was bad, yet there are pro-Hamas rallies taking place all over the country. We used to believe in checks and balances in our government, yet there are parts of the population who have no trouble dismantling those protections of democracy. We used to believe that women are equal to men, yet there is a growing movement – christian fundamentalists – trying to convince us that women should not, in fact, be allowed to vote. We used to believe that nations like Iran were a danger to the entire world’s existence, yet there are those who can’t see that. And I’m not talking about whether or not you support our war against them – I’m talking about supporting a regime that murders women and LGBTQ people and anyone who speaks out against them.
In the church, we often say that if you have 5 Christians, you’ll have 6 opinions, but this is true for just about any group. If I disagree with you, I will argue with you until one of us falls over, but I will never tell you that you don’t have the same rights as I do. And while there have always been pockets of irrationality throughout our history, I – foolishly, I guess – always believed that the vast majority of us wanted what’s best for the country. That the common good mattered more than selfishness. That while we have moments of ignorance, we figure it out and fix it. I think we can find that place again – I hope we can – because there is no place for hate groups or terrorists or inequality in this republic. Unless we decide that democracy is over.
Prayer – Holy God, You have made each one of us different, yet equal. May those who disagree find a new way to think. Amen.
Today’s art is untitled, and the artist is known as “The French Artist.”