Indivisible

Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

Maybe, like me, when you hear the word indivisible you automatically think of The Pledge of Allegiance.  In the Pledge, indivisible is used to describe the Republic, The United States of America.  It means that we, as a Nation, cannot be divided.  This is the land of "liberty and justice for all".  It is the "land of the free and the home of the brave."  It is the land that I love; the country that I am loyal to.  The problem is, our country does not feel indivisible.  It feels very divided.

You don't have to go far to hear, see, and feel division.  There are Republicans who hate Democrats, and Democrats who hate Republicans.  There are whites who hate blacks, and blacks who hate whites.  There are divisions among and between the religious, the spiritual, and the non-believers.  There are divisions centered around women's rights and what that means.  If someone believes something, there is bound to be someone who is against it.  But differences aren't really the problem.  The problem is in how we handle differences.  We can ALL be different and still not be divided.

It is not true that if everyone is special that means nobody is.  Everyone IS special -- but they are uniquely special.  We are all children of God with different gifts and talents.  We are all unique, and that means we will have differences.  The key to being indivisible is to love.  To find a way to listen and try to understand each other.  It doesn't count if we expect everyone to listen to us because we are "right" but we won't listen to anyone else.  Most people think they are right, and most people won't have their mind changed by a lecture, or by being yelled at, or by being shunned.  Two people can believe they are right on opposite ends of an issue and still get along.  

In the Bible it says "Charity never faileth".  It does not say that "being right never faileth".  Charity, or love, is the only way that our families, neighborhoods, cities, states, and country will truly be indivisible.