The Lines that Divide Us
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the lines that divide us, and how they are more distinct now than they ever were. Ever since the Trump era, followed by C-19, everything has been politicized, and in many people’s minds, particular things fall under particular categories … if you believe one thing, many assume you lean one way as opposed to another. But as I see it (and as I stand) this isn’t always the case, and in fact may even be opposite.
Ever since my spiritual crisis, it seems to me that people might think I lean right. Why? Because if I truly leaned left, I’d be going along with the narrative? But the truth is I lean more left than right, especially in relation to human dignity and rights. But here’s the rub: I don’t think of those things in the context of politics and policies. I think of them from a larger place, a spiritual place. I believe we all have the right to be happy, to live the way we want (if it’s not harming another) and to not be judged because of who we are, especially if we are ‘different’ from the mainstream.
Further, I think a lot of things the political elites are up to is nonsense. Our two party system has become a system of control and manipulation, and I can no longer participate. Neither can I say nothing, bury my head in the sand and believe it’s all okay because it is not. I’m having a hard time with the either/or mentality that so many cannot seem to break free from.
We are sovereign beings made in the image of God, and look at the differences among us … from our skin color to our nationalities to religious affiliations, sexual preferences and more, we are one and yet we are so vastly different. Why do so many assume we belong (or ascribe to) only one of two political parties? Do most of us actually do this? With all of the human variation and complexity that exists, do most of us really follow (and whole-heartedly believe in) one political party without any deviation of thought? And why are particular beliefs automatically attached to one political party over another? Don’t we have a lot more to us than that? If it is this way, the divide is heartbreaking to me.
The system is broken. There are no two ways about it. The entire thing is corrupt and the more we ascribe to one or the other, and ‘other’ those who think differently from us, the more we play into the brokenness and the narrative. It’s the way ‘they’ want it. ‘They,’ the political elites, want nothing more than for us to take sides and to ‘other’ one another so they can remain in power. Why are we letting them do this?
The way forward, to me, is honest and open communication, especially with those who disagree with us. Perhaps by having more human to human interaction in this way, we can bridge the divides between us. Perhaps, even if we cannot fully agree, we can understand on a human level where the other person is coming from. Perhaps we can choose love and unity instead of hatred and division. Perhaps, also, I’m delusional, but these are my prayers today. We are one human race. And we are destroying ourselves as long as we continue down the path we’ve been on for the last several years. I have hope, and I write about it because I hope others do too.
Photo by Catarina Carvalho on Unsplash
