Are We A House Divided?
Recently the big story in the news is the government shutdown. I don’t know all of the details, but at the center of it is the fact that congress cannot agree on a variety of things. Neither one is willing to budge on their positions, and they are not treating one another with respect. As a result, many government employees will not be getting paid until the issue is resolved. As unfortunate as these things are, we have seen disagreement after disagreement in our nation over the past several years, and it seems that no one can have peaceful discussion anymore. The truth is… we are a divided nation. I get on Facebook and see people not only disagreeing with one another, but being rude to one another because of their disagreements all the time. This saddens and frustrates me, and it’s one of the reasons I started this webpage. People need to learn how to talk about the tough subjects with humility.
For a brief tangent, one example of this problem is having discussions about religion. People say that if you want to keep the peace, one thing you should never talk about is religion. Let’s be real for a moment… how much more of an important topic could we possibly discuss? I mean if there is a heaven and a hell, or a God and a purpose for my life, shouldn’t I want to know? And how will I know unless I talk to someone who knows? Yes, it is true that there are many religions and philosophical views in the world that have caused a lot of division, but why can’t we just disagree peacefully? I have a lot of friends who hold different beliefs than I do… if what I believed were false, I would want to discuss it and find out the truth. If this has to do with what is going to happen after we die (and we ALL are eventually going to die) shouldn’t we want to know? We need to learn how to listen to one another and consider opposing viewpoints. If in the end we still disagree, just shrug it off and move on. No need to be rude and divisive.
Another topic people say to avoid in civilized conversation is politics. This topic is also immensely important. Our political representatives run our country and influence our every day lives; their decisions affect people who live all around the world. Our society needs to learn how to have peaceful conversations about political subjects. It is so sad to see all of the political dogfights that are being broadcasted daily in the media. Our society and the world as a whole will benefit greatly from a multitude of opinions coming together to determine what is the best way to deal with each issue. Unfortunately our political system seems to say, “either you are for us or you are against us.” Can’t we be for one another and disagree on some things at the same time?
As we look at our nation… it is easy to see that we are divided. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” Abraham Lincoln used Jesus’ words in his famous House Divided Speech at another time in history when our nation was divided and many lives were lost as a result. If you know anything about the Civil War, it is amazing that we are still the UNITED States of America. History repeatedly tells the story of divided nations falling and being conquered. What Jesus said was true… I pray that this would not be what happens to us. I pray that we can come together and talk about the tough subjects with humble dialog so that our world will reap the benefits of a nation that is undivided.
For more on dealing with conflict, see my previous post: Is Conflict Always Bad?
