Time to put people before politics and work for peace and reconciliation

By Rev. Dr. Chris George

It has been called the most contentious election since the Civil War.

Many in my congregation “crossed the aisle” to vote for the opposing party for the first time in their adult life. Others asked, “Can I in good conscience vote for either of these candidates?”

Some in my congregation are celebrating a political victory. Others are mourning their defeat.

But, I think we have all lost something during this election.  Politics have always evoked passion. Elections have always included some accusations. But, this year was different.

It was angry. We didn’t just disagree on policies, we actually hated the opposing political candidate. Fears of potential bad overwhelmed our faith in the good.

We allowed our national sense of decency to be destroyed by partisan politics. Some tolerated, (and others openly applauded,) political debates that were nothing more than extended personal attacks. We dismissed dishonesty as “what it takes to get elected.” We ignored vulgarity as “locker room conversation.” We accepted a false narrative that those across the aisle should be considered, not political opponents, but our enemies.

In short, we put politics above people.

The American Flag has always been a symbol of our nation, but perhaps at the present, the flag that most fully reflects our identity is the Star Spangled Banner. It is tattered and torn.

There are gaps in the social fabric of our nation. In fact, we have some gaping holes. This election has done little to repair our nation. Some feel exploited, others overlooked. Political parties have become polarized, leaving a whole lot of people left behind.

The flag hanging in the Smithsonian with “broad strips and bright stars” looks ragged and threadbare. But, this same flag inspired more than a song. It inspired a spirit, a stubborn resilience to be and become more than merely a colony for a foreign power.

This diverse country dared to be the United States. We were never a perfect people. We were always a pilgrim people. We were on a journey toward a more just society where “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” were not only eloquent words, but were actually everyday experiences.

The election is over. We have selected a new President.

What happens now?

We can protest. We can complain. We can celebrate. We can gloat.

We can dig in. We can hole up. We can stop speaking to one another.

Or, we can come together as a people to demand better and to do better. We can work for peace and reconciliation. A President and our politicians are not the source or the solution to our problems. In the words of our founders, the real power rests in “We the people….”

Some said this election was the apocalypse, the end of the world as we know it. I hope so.  Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—we all want a better world. We can chart a new course. We can look past our differences and find common ground as we seek the common good for all people.

It will not be easy. We will not always see eye to eye.

The first step is to stop labeling those who disagree with us as enemies. Instead of pointing fingers saying “they” are the problem, what if we joined hands and said, “we are the solution?”

In a few months, our new President will address the nation. I hope that he will take time to read the 1^st Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln.

Two weeks after Jefferson Davis was welcomed as the President of the Confederacy, Abraham Lincoln delivered his words to a divided nation.  He concluded his remarks with these words…

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break the chords of our affection. The mystic chords of memory…will yet swell the chorus of Union when again touched…by the better angels of our nature.”

People who I love dearly and respect deeply have told me, “The divide is too deep…”

But, I disagree. Passion has strained, but not broken the chords of our affection. I believe in the better angels of our nature…

Rev. Dr. Chris George is senior pastor of Smoke Rise Baptist Church, a congregation located in Stone Mountain, Ga., and affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

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