On January 6th we all watched as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. For me, it was the culmination of several years of ugliness in our country. It was the final tug on the bandaid that had been covering our country’s wounds for quite some time. While the act itself was surprising the fact that it did happen was not. Our country is broken but fortunately it’s not beyond repair. As I’ve thought about the state of our country the past several days some key things came into focus that we each need to understand to bring about the healing we need.
First, the truth is the truth! When you look up the definition of truth what you will find is, “the quality or state of being true; that which is in accordance with fact or reality.” I’ve always been a person that seeks out truth and I encourage my children to do the same. But it is in the context of the definition above and with an understanding that the truth I find may not be what I want to hear. But that’s okay because I understand that finding truth doesn’t mean going so far down the rabbit hole until I find someone or something that supports what I believe. Finding truth is based on facts and reality not alternative facts and alternative reality. Yes, I know that’s hard for many to believe right now. Truth is truth!
Second, we can’t solve our country’s problems by denying they exist. This past year should have made it very clear to all of us that there is inequality in our country. This inequality is along many different lines: racial, gender, and socio-economic to name a few. For so many, the only way you will see the true impact of this inequality is to step outside of your circumstance and walk alongside someone different than you. That’s called empathy and I wrote about the importance of empathy this past summer. Just because you aren’t experiencing the inequality, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Until we can acknowledge the existence of inequality and work to fix it, we will remain divided.
Third, we have to love each other as brothers and sisters! My spiritual foundation is built on two commandments from Christ. Love God with all your heart, mind and soul! Love your neighbor as yourself! Loving my neighbor as myself means that I don’t define you by a political party, religious denomination, race, gender, or any other factor you want to put out there. I try to look at you as I view myself and that’s with respect and love. But the key here is I can’t view you in that way if I don’t view myself in that way. I have to love and respect myself first before I can reciprocate that back to you. For many, there is internal healing that needs to take place before external healing can take place.
These are just a few of the things that have gone through my mind the past several days as I contemplate how we move forward. The bottom line is it will take individual effort from each of us. It will take some disconnecting from social media to truly look inward to see where you are as an individual. The journey will not be easy but I for one feel it’s a journey worth taking to bring about the healing we need!
Evolution of Self!
