The prophets of Israel often ranted about the horrors of the more urban northern kingdom of Israel. The prophets were mostly from the tribe of Judah, and they were in the Southern Kingdom, as was Jerusalem and the Temple.
The polarization was so strong that they destroyed the Temple of the Samaritans in the Northern Kingdom, saying there could only be one.
Healing a divided nation is one of my pursuits. But talking to people is a horror story when they are radically polarized against each other. The best I can do is understand them. But new generations will do what others can’t bring themselves to do.
Image suggestions and composition by Dorian Scott Cole.
Image creation by Chat GPT and Microsoft Designer, AI.
Scripture reference:
“But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
“And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” – Matthew 12: 24-29
Jesus certainly brought division, and said he would, but he also brought peace and goodwill. In this he talks about Israel’s society, which was inherently religious. He said plainly, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Urban and rural divide
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
People love to emphasize our differences. Yet we’re more alike than we think. People in rural areas are resourceful, imaginative, creative, and value much the same things that city folk do, such as family.
Cities are hubs of diversity and new thought. Rural areas also can be. Rural people are not as rigid as people think they are. I know because lived in both a lot.
People identify with those among whom they live. There are those among us who work overtime to control those identities and turn us against anyone who differs. The news media uses this exaggeration to get viewers.
All states have significant percentages of Republicans and Democrats, with around 20% having no leaning either way. Yet we label states red and blue as if their populations were universally one. It’s a lie and a bad way to view others.
We have different issues
In North Dakota and Montana, where farming fields can be as large as 50 by 50 miles, covering entire counties, rural residents have limited access to towns for supplies and healthcare. Those hospitals won’t have the services and support available to them that hospitals in cities have, so they have to be self-sufficient. They have to think differently about taking care of themselves.
People in rural areas are more self-sufficient because they have to be. It would be unthinkable to have someone come and change a lightbulb.
We have to realize that some laws can’t be ubiquitous.
In the most prosperous nation in the world, we can afford for poor states like Louisiana and Mississippi to have the same benefits as the rest of our nation. Sharing helps us all.
It’s the economy, stupid – Jim Carville
The one issue that everyone everywhere relates to is the economy. It’s number 1 on the list of issues and drives voting. The poor get left behind more than any other financial class of people, and with galloping inflation it’s very difficult to put food on the table.
Forty-seven million people in the US experienced food insecurity in 2023. One in five children in the United States is experiencing food insecurity, which is nearly 14 million children. A record-high 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the US on a single night in January 2023.
While we all suffered from inflation, corporate profits hit record highs in 2023. Petroleum and financial service companies led the pack. They drive inflation to make profits while we point fingers at each other, further driving division.
While fast food companies scream they can’t make enough profit, raising wages by three dollars only raises the price of a hamburger by 15 cent. Fast food companies had record profits in 2023, while marking up prices 15% to feast on consumers pocketbooks.
The impact of inflation can be worse in rural areas. There is much less job opportunity in rural areas, and lower wages. Because of high driving distances, gas prices have more impact. They suffer more from inflation. The poor everywhere suffer worst of all.
Healing the divide
In a course I’m developing and presenting about ministering to and working with new generations, I talk about what new generations are doing to solve a number or problems. They aren’t afraid to tackle these issues, want government to do more, and outvote older generations.
New generations have been toughened up by all the problems they’ve witnessed in the US. They didn’t hide under their desks to practice nuclear war drills like some older generations did. They actually lived school shootings and other problems, and they are determined to solve them.
I studied economics through MIT. Consumer spending drives the economy and business, not the other way around. We need to stop believing ridiculous slogans about business being most important to our survival, and start making our economy fair. We need to stop hiding behind the idea that spreading wealth makes everyone poor, when in reality it boosts the economy and we are all better off.
How can we justify making others poor to make ourselves wealthy?
We can solve these things if we put our collective minds and efforts into them.
Conclusion
It’s to the benefit of those who gain from our division to spread propaganda that emphasizes our difference, from the news media to politicians to special interest groups. They’re using us. If people are trying to divide us, we need to be very skeptical of their motives.
A house divided can’t stand, but together we can solve our problems. We have to work together and help solve each other’s issues.
God makes the rain to fall and sun to shine on all. Only we can stop it.
Songs about acceptance: Singer’s Room. https://singersroom.com/songs-about-acceptance/
Probability Space
What probability spaces can we open in our minds to understand how problems differ from city to rural?
Potential Space
If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, could you explore group opportunities to resolve issues?
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My friend, David Ketcherside, former Christian broadcaster, has written a book series that I gave feedback on. It’s for men, written from his experience, thoughtful analysis, and heart. Gen A, Z, and X (Millennials) would find it very helpful. It’s available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook on Audible. Check out The Whole Dude. His description: “My hope is to remind readers what being whole looks like, and help them recognize the distortions that stop us from feeling totally awesome all the time.” He’s also excellent at marketing if you have marketing needs.
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– Dorian
Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.
Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.
Civic service opportunities
Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.
United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.
Join or support Zero Hour and amplify the voices of youth organizing for climate action.
Peoples Hub. Resistance, Resilience, Restoration, Re-imagination. Online Popular Education. For movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize – in and across the disability justice and solidarity economy movements.
Stakeholder Capitalism – a video podcast series from the World Economic Forum. Can capitalism be made to work for all of us – and to improve rather than destroy the state of the planet?
General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.
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Education Opportunities for new generations
Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online
Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online
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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.
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Author and books
Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.
The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.
Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.
Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole
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