We Must Unite

After 9/11, as Americans, we rallied around faith and the flag.  Today both faith and the flag are under attack.  Political activists are shouting that faith institutions must accept new cultural norms or lose their tax-exempt status.  Adopt same-sex marriage or get sued for discrimination.  Politicians want to pass legislation to force this on the religious community.  Most talk is about Christian communities.  I wonder why they have not approached the Islamic or Jewish community?  Committees now debate whether they should continue to recite the pledge of allegiance.  The National Anthem has been used to divide rather than unite us as a people.  What will unite us?

It will not be a cancel culture that forces compliance or else.  I remember the story of the little girl who was forced to stand in the corner for her behavior.  The little girl looked at her mom and said: “I am still sitting on the inside.”  Forced compliance is not unity.  The Woke culture that looks for offense in every corner will not do it.  The strangest one recently was a Portland school.  Their mascot was a Trojan, and they wanted a friendlier mascot.  They came up with the Evergreen.  It is gender-neutral, it provides shelter and shade, etc.  (First of all, imagine rooting at the football game—Go Evergreens!  Go!  You could get beat up in several states just for suggesting this.)  But not to worry, the Evergreen is a tree, and a tree is used for hangings (lynchings); therefore, no Evergreen.  I am certainly not ignoring our vile, sinful, and evil history of slavery; however, an Evergreen?

If you look hard enough, you will find things for which to complain.  You can retire to Florida, sweat like never before, and still tell northerners it is not hot. You can become the grass police and make sure no one walks on anyone else’s grass.  You can become the unofficial golfing professor and cite all the rules and sap the fun and energy out of a neighborly game. You can even call the city when your disabled neighbor has not got the snow removed from his sidewalk within 24 hours, rather than going to clear it for him.  Maybe you can just become a troll from your computer and say outlandish things to upset others. 

It will not be politicians who unite us, that is evident.  It will not be giving into outlandish calls to defund the police, get rid of the police, create a new set of rules to discriminate, blaming it on education and teachers, church, communities, ethnicities, races, and religion.  I could think of 10 people to blame for different issues, or I can think of 10 people who have lifted me up beyond where I would have been on my own. 

After 9/11 occurred that dark morning, people were pulling off Route 25 and coming into the sanctuary.  They came in quietly and just sat in a seat or knelt at the front.  It was quiet except for the occasional sobbing one could hear.  As pastor, I watched in gratitude that they knew the answer, and I wept with them.  There were many people, some known and some unknown, that day that stopped in.  This happened across our land.  Whether they stopped at a religious building or joined others in a park, we all knew we better unite.  The Sunday after 9/11, churches were full.  It was an awakening from our Disney-like lives in the USA. It was a reality that diminished our arrogant and self-reliant nature. The world has not gotten brighter or safer.  The world is darker and more dangerous and is still a threat to freedom-loving people.  We are not united.

Who will solve these issues?  Individuals must ultimately solve the problem of disunity.  We must cancel the Cancel culture and ignore much of the Woke propaganda and return to American values.  American values are based on Judeo-Christian traditions, and many sects would agree with the following picture.

We can’t continue to destroy careers, people, and reputations over something said years ago or even yesterday.  A marriage, a friendship, a team could never exist if a cancel culture became the guiding principle.

What do I think we must do as Americans? 

1. Return to our faith.
2. Return to patriotism.
3. God gave us two ears and one tongue; let us listen more than we talk.
4. Instead of criticizing a neighbor—help him/her.
5. Instead of demeaning authority, become part of a peaceful solution.  Be a peacemaker.
6. Realize we are in this together and are sailing on the same ship.  Scuttling the ship drowns us all.
7. Pray for one another.
8. Look for the good each day and not the evil.
9. Focus on your sins and shortcomings, and don’t castigate others for their sins.   
10. Finally,
    •  Pray for your governing officials—Local, State, Federal. 
    • Pray for all the law enforcement agencies who protect us. 
    • Pray for the teachers who educate our children. 
    • Pray for the businesses that provide services and products to us.
    • Pray for pastors and religious leaders to work for peace.

The only answer for America—is Americans.  It is not my responsibility alone.  It is not your responsibility alone.  If unity is to come, it will mean each of us working for it together!

Let us be peacemakers.

Jim