Finding Hope in Times of Division
People have very different views on the last two US elections. They represent the divisions within the US. My view—I’m not partial to either party—and taking a long view of history, is that these are birth pangs that will give birth to something better.
I have issues that I care deeply about. New generations, which spoke loudly in the election by not supporting either candidate, have issues they care deeply about and will decide our future direction. This should resonate like a five-alarm fire bell within both parties.
Political parties aside, as individuals, we must find ways to coexist peacefully and constructively in a divided world.
Podcast show links with added content: Substack, YouTube video, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. These appear a day after blog-article posts.
Jesus is the example on how to live with others with whom we disagree.

Reference verses
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” – Matthew 5:43-45 (NRSV)
End summary
In Depth
Living with an occupying force
The outcome of living with an occupying force can be good or bad. It depends on our reaction.
Many in ancient Israel didn’t like the Romans having military, political, and legal jurisdiction over the land of Judaism. But from 63 BCE they protected the land from foreign invaders, which was a staple problem of the Middle East region. They were safe.
The Sadducees had learned to live under Alexander the Great, who invaded them in 332 BCE. As a result, many Jews adopted the Greek language, culture, and writing. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek.
The Romans could be murderous and cruel, or could be very nice. They respected or tolerated local religions. They put local people like Herod, a Jew, into kingship.
Public feelings about the Romans ranged from accepting, to ambivalent, to outright hatred of these invaders. Many refused Jesus’ teachings and longed for a military leader like King David, a fond memory from 440 years before. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, shared these feelings.
There had been many groups of troublemakers who the Romans had to stifle, and eventually these troublemakers became the Zealot party that eventually drew the wrath of the Romans so that they stomped every trace of the Jews out of existence by 128 CE, and persecuted Christianity because of its association. The only Jews who survived were those who left Israel and went into hiding.
You get what you invest in.
“An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.” Proverbs 29:22
Stirring up angry and divisive feelings has consequences with bad outcomes, like getting an entire civilization and religion destroyed. Jesus showed us a much better path.
What did Jesus do about the Romans?
He treated them with respect, didn’t argue with them, appreciated the great faith of some, and healed them. He did nothing to stir them up.
Jesus could have been on the warpath against people whose behavior he didn’t like. That would have been many Jews, and, gulp, us. But instead he offered each of us not only an olive branch of peace between us and God, but a way to move forward eternally through his example.
“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8
Because of Jesus’ methods of dealing with others, his message found fertile ground among many Jews, many Jewish leaders, many Roman soldiers, and, well, everyone who was looking.
Budde example in speaking to Trump
The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, speaking in a prayer service for the inauguration about unity, included the LGBTQ and migrant communities. She said to Trump, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” She referred to LGBTQ people and immigrants.
Many immigrants are afraid of being returned to extremely harsh lives in their home countries, and scared for their lives. Many left areas ravaged by extreme poverty, crop land destroyed by forever drought, widespread merciless gang violence, political persecution, and lack of ways to support families. In coming here, many lost their homes and walked thousands of miles in harsh conditions.
Rather than take on Trump in a public display of confrontation, she said on The View she wanted her sermon to, ‘counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing in which people are being harmed’. She declined to address his calls for an apology.
Like Jesus, Budde spoke the truth, stood firm, and refused to argue.
Don’t be complacent or submissive
Did the path shown us by Jesus tell us to become doormats? On the contrary. Jesus spoke truth. It was rejected by many, especially leaders, but many found comfort and many lives were transformed by his message of love.
Disagreeing with others doesn’t mean being hateful to them or creating problems for them.
Jesus’ way was simple and his load was light: Love others. Be kind to them. It makes all the difference in the world.
Chile resistance example
During the most extreme political regimes there are ways to survive and live our truth.
Scot Nakagawa on Substack related Lessons from Solidarity Networks in Chile for Today’s Anti-Authoritarian Organizers. (- https://substack.com/@scotnakagawa)
- Leverage Trusted Institutions: During Pinochet’s regime, established institutions like community kitchens (Ollas Comunes) and the Catholic Church’s Vicaría de la Solidaridad provided crucial support and safe spaces. These institutions were more difficult for the regime to suppress due to their existing legitimacy and potential for international backlash. Today, organizers should partner with similar trusted entities like faith-based groups and cultural organizations to provide resources and protection for mutual aid efforts.
[My comment: many faith based organizations in the US organize and support efforts to prevent harm to those less fortunate.] - Focus on Decentralized Efforts: Decentralized, localized organizing was essential for survival and resilience. Neighborhood-level committees autonomously organized aid and resistance, minimizing the impact of potential crackdowns. This structure ensured that the movement couldn’t be easily dismantled. Contemporary organizers should prioritize grassroots leadership, small, interconnected groups, and local decision-making.
[My comment: this can be accomplished by new generations through social media.] - Document and Advocate: The Vicaría not only provided aid but also meticulously documented human rights abuses. This dual approach of providing care and advocating for justice brought international attention to the regime’s brutality. Today’s organizers should establish networks of journalists and citizen documentarians to safely record and disseminate stories of repression, using secure digital tools to protect vulnerable communities and amplify their voices.
[My comment: Public pressure on Congressional legislators through journalism gets results in the US.] - Mutual Aid as a Form of Resistance: The solidarity networks in Chile were more than just survival mechanisms; they were a form of resistance. By providing essential services and fostering community, they empowered people and laid the groundwork for the eventual dismantling of the dictatorship. This demonstrates that mutual aid can be a powerful tool for resilience, empowerment, and social change.
[My comment: Organizing not only creates strength in numbers, it gets people involved and committed.] - Relevance for Today’s Anti-Authoritarian Organizing: As authoritarianism rises globally, the Chilean experience offers valuable lessons. When governments fail or become oppressive, community-led initiatives can provide crucial support and resistance. These historical examples encourage contemporary organizers to build similar networks to not only survive but also to actively fight for a more just world.
Conclusion after this about church planning:
Church planning season – strong impact course
How can churches minister to new generations if they won’t come to church? The church has been losing people at 1% a year, and now most of new generations won’t come.
I developed and presented a course on understanding and working with new generations. I would like to say I had rave reviews, but on a scale of 1 to 5 it averaged 4.5. Well, some people were raving.
The course helps people understand new generations, their values, and their differences. It helps people understand how to build a bridge to them and minister to them. The old worn-out things we used to do don’t work, and for good reason. This solutions focused course enables people to find new ways, appropriate ways, to minister to these generations in their local circumstances. It’s for church groups and generates deep discussion. </p>
Conclusion
“With hate, we have more to lose than gain. Break the cycle” – Dorian Scott Cole
Hate gets hate in response.
Violence gets violence in response.
Love gets a much better response.
Jesus showed us the better way of working with others. He showed us the way to transform ourselves and the world. He didn’t argue with others, he just spoke truth and stood firm, citing the law that they had twisted into their own image. He said the leaders were snakes and the end would not be good for them.
We can ridicule and argue, and that’s what we always get in return.
Choose what you want to give others.
Probability Space
What probability spaces can we open in our minds to see how we can work with others and influence them?
(A probability space is where all of the elements necessary for something to happen are present and it’s almost inevitable. All it takes is intention.)
Potential Space
If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, can we show those who oppose us a better way to resolve differences?
(A potential space is a virtual space in our minds where entirely new things can take shape.)More: Is Music A Form Of Prayer?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.
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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.
Special opportunities
Free video preview of the course
Course on Udemy: Understanding and Working with New Generations
Building a Community of Action
New Way Forward community
Can we make positive change in our world and end a lot of suffering?
Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it’s also full of the overcoming of it.”
The human spirit yearns for a world without suffering, but it’s through facing challenges that we progress. The world isn’t perfect, but together we can create a future with less hardship. Famine, discrimination, gun violence, and injurious economic and educational disparities are complex problems, yet understanding their root causes empowers us to find solutions.
Launching in first quarter 2025, the New Way Forward community will connect individuals seeking practical solutions and creating lasting change. We’ll focus on understanding problems and their solutions, and how to effectively create change.
Join us in building a brighter tomorrow! New Way Forward on Facebook.
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