One Nation, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All

On this Independence Day, I am noticing that my country doesn’t look a lot like those words of the pledge of allegiance.

I have mostly been stepping back from speaking about politics for some time now. Certainly that does not mean I don’t have an opinion or that I am oblivious to what is going on in my country.

I find there is a lot of “I’m right, you’re wrong!” happening.

There is a lot of righteous indignation and anger…and sadness. There is name calling and finger pointing and sarcasm, to the point where it seems to have become a national sport. All of which I feel does no good at all if the point is to actually change something. We appear to be at loggerheads. Not to call it into being, but sometimes I feel as if my country is on the brink of civil war.

And I wonder what’s to be done about that.

I find there are things occurring that surprise me…and mystify me…and twist my gut. I find there are things occurring that seem beyond unkind. They seem brutal and cruel.

How do I deal with that with clarity? How do I deal with that in a way that actually feels good to my heart and moves me toward love instead of away? How do I deal with it in a way that creates more understanding instead of less? (And I mean understanding on my part…because isn’t that where it begins?)

And how do I deal with it fearlessly?

It’s not just “can’t we all just get along?” It’s so much more than that. It’s about actually beginning to hear from a deeper place. Because when things don’t make sense, what doesn’t make sense isn’t “out there”. The confusion isn’t “out there”at all. It’s right here. It’s living in me.