Political upheaval: We are the solution

  In October a hard-hitting Tom Friedman New York Times Op-Ed column during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings was titled The American Civil War, Part II. Friedman made the point that the nation is deeply divided, with each side seeing the other as “the enemy.”

  Two days later, Friedman’s fellow columnist David Brooks added his two cents with a column headed: A Complete National Disgrace; the Kavanaugh Hearings as American Nadir.

  Brooks wrote that the core problem is a complete breakdown in the legitimacy of American public institutions. “The Kavanaugh hearings were a look in the mirror, and a vivid display of how ugly things have become.”

  Friedman also landed some telling blows toward the end of his column, pointing to the many people today who are “propelling their political careers and fattening their wallets” by dividing the nation. He said that they simply aren’t thinking.

  These deep concerns, spiced with cynicism, flowing from both experienced political commentators, has, I believe, got people thinking as never before about party tribalism and electoral fairness.

  The Christian Science Monitor Weekly spoke of “democracy in disrepair,” showing on its cover a sketch of the capitol dome enmeshed in heavy scaffolding.

  But the paper remained calm: “The decline of organized religion in America has resulted in the loss of an important moral touchstone. There is  no eject button or shortcut,” said the Monitor. “No candidate is a cure-all. We are the solution.”

  What I’ve found most heartening is that the Monitor is just one of several news sources that have been encouraging readers and viewers to seek spiritual answers that not only have the ring of Truth but also shine with timeless validity.

  One of the most helpful pieces I’ve read was a September article in Christianity Today. It was written by Kevin Harney, the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California, who tackled several of these issues head on.

  Harney spoke of the trend in modern life away from thoughtful conversation and civility. But these conflicted, embattled, and embittered times, he said, are a “perfect moment” for Christians to lead the way by showing their communities and the world that it is possible to disagree strongly and still be kind, compassionate, and loving. It’s what Christ Jesus did and expected of his followers.

  So, how do we do this? The Bible, says Harney, points the way through passages such as Matthew 5:44, where we are urged to pray for those who disagree with us, even those who are hostile toward us. (Though, for me, that doesn’t mean asking God to change opponents’ minds.) 

  Harney encourages frank conversation with those who are different from us. He suggests that we ask thoughtful questions about others’ convictions. Dig deeply into why they believe what they believe. And listen to their answers—without using the time they are talking to mount our attack, but to really hear them and understand them.

  To which I would add a prayer from a devout Bible student and a great spiritual  pioneer of the late nineteenth century, who prayed: “May Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind and govern them” (Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Science Church Manual, p. 41).