CAN A NATION DIVIDED HEAL?
Tags: Healing, Racial Justice, Election 2020, 2020 Presidential Race, Mississippi

CAN A NATION DIVIDED HEAL?

The 2020 Election “Game” that seems to never end…

“Football Field Panoramic (HDR)” by joebiologyuni is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The American 2020 election has been like watching a football game between rival teams that never seems to end. No one has decided on what should be the final score, there is questions about some of the touchdowns that have been made. And while the crowd has left the bleachers, we’re still checking-in to see who is ultimately going to be the winners.

We have different announcers, telling us different facts about what we’re viewing. One is decrying fouls and penalties and questioning the rules of the game that were acceptable during the last game played. The other says that the referees are calling the game correctly, but they are going back to check the tape.

The fans and the whole world are watching to see if we’re going to follow our own rules and wonder how the rules of the game can be so differently interpreted by the officials in place. Meanwhile the cheerleaders on our opposing teams continue to shout that their team has won, don’t let the opposing team “steal the victory.” The fans could go to credible news sources and not follow opinions, but that would take too much work and effort. So a lot of us choose to just listen to our cheerleaders read off the cue cards and regurgitate what they’ve been promising for the last few months.

What’s evident is that at some point we’re going to have a winner and a loser. Is it that important who the winner is? Is it that important that the game is played fairly? In an actual football game, depending on the league or division, maybe not so much. But when you’re talking about the most powerful country in the world, the winner and the process is very important. Not just for this country, but for the world at large.

“American Flag” by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A Snapshot of our United States

The truth is that we’re actually not on different teams when it comes to governing the United States of America. When I served in the Armed Forces and took care of active duty military, veterans, and their families, I cared little about their political opinion or their values. I treated them as my fellow citizens and worthy of the care, the best care that I could provide for them, as service to this country.

I’ve been trying to understand the hate, anger, bitterness and contention that seems to tear at the fabric of honest discourse on politics. It seems in the rush to express our opinions about what is best, we forget we are talking to a fellow countrymen, who has an equal right to express their ideas and opinions. When those opinions or votes are at odds with our own, we often get offended and try to speculate on the character or morals of these individuals. This stereotyping leads to biases and prejudices that hinder the conversation and common ground to move forward.

As a mother, seeing a man on his stomach with a police officer’s knee to his neck, crying out for his mother as he breathed his last this summer, pierced my heart. It brought to the forefront the apparent injustices in the way policing is performed in this country and many of us grieved at the loss of his life and so many others. Especially when there seemed to be no reasonable, quick action or justice for those lost lives and the police officers’ reckless behavior. I used my voice to call on my representatives and I, with my daughter, took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations for change. I will admit that I was appalled at the reaction that I received from some of my white Christian congregants and friends concerning their reaction to any protest of racial inequality and policing. They were offended at any acknowledgment that “Black Lives Matter,” and my state of Mississippi’s response was to pass a bill called “Blue lives matter,” that further criminalized any action made to police officers or first responders.

At the same time, in Mississippi, we have been trying to change our state flag from one that doesn’t have inherit ties to racism to one that more aptly reflects the 21st-century and the values we would like to have in the “hospitality state.” There was lots of outrage and anger at any suggestion of change. The term “cancel culture,” began to be used and people expected all Mississippians to respect and honor the views of the culture that existed centuries ago, and forfeit the representation of current Mississippians and our ability to move forward, united.

I dare say seeing these reactions from people that I worshiped with, studied with, and fellowshipped with, was troubling. They seem to accept me and like me, but didn’t know the world I came from or understand my plight in society outside of the church walls. The same church people who preached and talked about love, seem to show no love for those that were mistreated by law enforcement. Their collective response was to support the policemen, contrary to what they saw or heard. They could not understand why flashing a rebel state flag in today’s society would make an African-American feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. It is up to us, African-Americans, to “get over it.”

Even my peaceful protest was ridiculed by a couple of elderly men who wanted to know why I was protesting. I will refer to them as OG1 (Older grandad 1) and OG2 (Older grandad 2) from here on. OG1 questioned my Christianity for protesting. While OG2 was offended at us, of all colors, having the audacity to walk down his peaceful street. With OG1 around, OG2 stated that black people had let drugs ravish their communities, that was their problem, although he later admitted that George Floyd’s death was unfair. However, after OG1 left, OG2 reminisced about how his father treated black people on their land back in the day, and finished with saying something to the effect that “God must have hated black people to allow them to go through so much.” (I will state that at this time my eldest daughter was with me, and was offended by the blunt questions the OGs were asking and tried to get me to move on. I told her that I wanted to “understand” and asked “how can we ever get to know one another if we don’t communicate? This is what I’ve been praying for.” She left me, exasperated by the whole ordeal. I understood that these people had another perspective that was worth pursuing, and I saw these men as my grandfathers. Isn’t that my Christian duty? They came from a different era and a different culture, but they weren’t blatantly disrespectful. I think they wanted to talk to someone they saw on the other side. They were concerned about what was threatening their peaceful existence. When I let them know more about myself and that I wasn’t against them, we were able to put our guards down and listen to each other, and view each other as people, not “political parties” or “labels.” I learned about their past life, they learned about my faith, we talked about how to go forward. OG1 couldn’t believe that I attended a predominately white church. OG2 had his guitar, and he ended up playing a tune, while later I sung a gospel hymn. I left with mixed emotions, but, I left with hope. Maybe I had shattered some of their myths about me, and they certainly shattered some of mine.

This incident, though uncomfortable, I think helped me decide how to go forward during this divisive time. I dare say that few people can believe or agree with any one person, candidate, or political party 100%. So, I won’t let the hurt or misunderstanding put a divide between me and my friends; white or black. I won’t label every Trump supporter a “racist” no more than I will label every Biden supporter a “baby killer.” I refuse to take the over-simplistic manner of referring to people as directions (right, left, far- right, and the like), I think we are too complicated to be put in these narrow confines, and it’s personally insulting.

http://www.theinclusionsolution.me/a-point-of-view-who-is-american/

I Have a Choice

There was a time when I saw all the world in black and white. This side was right and that side was wrong. That is a very dangerous and prideful place to be. There was a time that I, listening to church leaders, hedged all my votes on one issue, I now believe that is a very dangerous place to be. I also do not believe that one side or one party is inherently evil and another party or side is inherently morally right. I don’t listen to opinionated news to interpret and translate the facts for me. I go to news that gives me the facts and I take the facts and interpret them for myself.

I don’t believe the worst in people, I don’t believe that everyone in government or in Hollywood is out to get us, and I refuse to listen to people attacking others instead of dealing with facts and the issues. I don’t believe that people are the problem, but the solution. And I still believe that we can unite as Americans and go forth to make a more perfect union that includes us all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Mississippi

By the way, on November 3rd, 2020, Mississippi voted to accept our new flag “The New Magnolia.” Yes, it took a change of heart, a change of mind, and a lot of bold people to stand up for what they thought was right and 126 years. It will not all be done on our watch. The “game” that we are watching play out is a “game” that will continue to happen as long as this country continues to be a nation. It will go through times of upheaval, of discord, of strife, of unity, and peace. Like the Bible says, there is a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8). I believe it’s time to heal, and that starts one heart at a time.

So How Do I Heal?

1. Believe that there is a God in heaven who is Just, even though this life may not seem fair. And that we all will be accountable for the things we have done on this earth; the good and bad.

2. Learn to love people for who they represent, (Man is made in the image of God) not for what they do.

3. Know that love is not a feeling, it is what you do: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4 — 7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

4. Be as merciful to others as I would like God and others to be to me.

5. Be as forgiving to others as I would like God and others to be to me.

6. Stand for justice and balanced scales for all in every area of life.

7. Pray that my heart does not become burdened with the hatred and division that would keep me from reaching out and treating all people with love and respect.

8. Pray that all of our leaders would have the motive to do the will of the people with wisdom, honesty, transparency, and without bias.

9. Be engaged with my political leaders locally, state-wide, and nationally to let my voice on the issues be heard, regardless of their political party. They represent all their constituents.

10. Be purposeful about the kind of material I ingest in my mind and heart from news, articles, books, social media platforms, tv, etc. We are what we eat. If I continue to listen to information that may be biased towards one side or agenda, my perspective is skewed. It might be better to check several different news sources, and get news that is not translated and interpreted by someone’s opinion. It also helps to sometimes listen to the news of someone that I may not normally listen to, to get a better feel for their fears, their worries, or concerns.

11. Do not let fear, or what could happen, rule my decisions. (False Evidence Appearing Real) Deal with the facts and act in faith.

12. Remember that I don’t know it all, and I don’t have all the answers. Always be open to growing in knowledge about things I think I know, and about things I don’t know. Hoping that revelations of knowledge, information, and experience will transform my believes on certain issues, and allow for that growth.

13. Remember that in the end it is all about us as a nation and a united people. No one person will always have things their way, no one party will always have things their way, no demographic of people will always have things their way. The fact that we are a group of people, means that we must work in community and consider everyone. That is democracy.

14. Never give up on people.

15. Make every effort to live at peace with everyone….