Political Scientists tell us that the political divide in our great nation has officially reached a fever point. Statistically speaking, the last time our nation was this divided was right before the Civil War.
Depending on which side of the aisle your political beliefs are on, these scientists tell us that over 45M Americans think they’d be justified in taking up arms if their chosen candidate loses the next Presidential Election. As unbelievable as it sounds, almost 13.5% of our citizens are ready to load a gun and use it to enforce their political agenda.
Those same scientists also talk about the spark that will ignite this hatred. Something like the George Floyd situation that began all of the protests and riots a few years ago, could be that spark.
While considering this, I woke up last Sunday morning, and lit a candle.
One of the oldest traditions of the German Lutheran Church is that of the Advent Wreath. We light a new candle every Sunday of the Christmas Season, or what in liturgical circles is also known as the Season of Advent.
Those four candles symbolize hope, joy, love, and peace. I’ll light the fifth candle on Christmas morning. It’s the one in the middle of the Advent Wreath reminding Christians of the birth of Christ.
Somewhere in the middle of this season, I had a radical idea. Stay with me. I’m going to ask you to do something that might be a bit difficult.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or nothing at all, you’re going to have dinner. You’ll sit down with family or friends this weekend.
And what will you discuss?
Will it be the latest nightmare in the economy? Maybe a conspiracy theory from the left or the right? How about our present day politics that do such a fabulous job of dividing our great nation?
Sure, we could do that. 99% of everyone out there will do exactly that, or we could be different. Radically different.
We could instead talk about something that unites us. We could talk about the concepts of hope, joy, love, and peace. We could actually act like good Americans.
These ideas aren’t specific to any particular faith. No matter what God you pray to, these are ideas that we can all get behind.
Afterall, isn’t that what the concept of being an American is supposed to be about? Let’s spend some time this weekend, uniting as one, in the greatest tradition of our concept of democracy.
Let’s be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let’s once again at least act like the greatest nation on the earth, for united we stand and divided we’ll fall. Nothing good can possibly come from division.
The America I grew up in was a very different place. It was a place where inclusion was the rule rather than exclusion.
I was taught that if my Brother and Sister Americans don’t believe as I do, that this doesn’t make them my enemy. They’re still family, and what family doesn’t have it’s disagreements.
We need to discuss our issues, rather than load a gun. At the end of the day, just like any other family, the only thing we really have is each other.
As we sit down to dinner this weekend, let’s lead our families and friends in a direction of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let’s be a part of the solution, rather than the problem.
May whatever God you pray to bless you, your family, and your business, now and always.
Chris Amundson
President
Accounting Solutions Ltd.
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