Like millions of patriotic citizens, I have been transfixed over the last few weeks as I have seen the division in our country escalating to almost impossible levels. I wonder, “How can I help my country heal?” Do you think about that also? Do you think it is possible? Impossible? Can one person make a difference? I think we can only heal one person at a time, and here’s an example of how.
“This will be the end of girls’ sports,” cries a mom on Facebook, “now that the president has decided to allow transgender boys to play on girls teams!” Fear takes a life of its own in this statement. No more girls’ sports?!? That is terrible! What a shame!
When I first saw her comments, I responded with the same anger, albeit only for a few seconds. Then I started to wonder if this was true. How could this be? So I did some redsearch and found that only 2% of high school students identify as transgender. About 50% of students participate in sports. So out of 100 players, one half of one percent might be transgender. Could one potential player out of two hundred athletes really put an end to girls’ sports?
I know the mom who posted this statement on Facebook; she’s a smart woman, kind and loving. Why did she respond to the news with such anger and fear?
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever had an instant response of fear to a post, a meme, or a news article? Can you stop that spontaneous reaction? Why should you?
A Course in Miracles
A Course in Miracles teaches us that “All healing is essentially the release from fear” (T-2IV. 1:7). Healing this country means that we must, one by one, heal ourselves by releasing our fears. Much of what we see in the media feeds this viral infection of fear that preys on our natural goodwill.
We are not helpless, though; there is a strategy that we can use.
Step 1. Love
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
1 John 4:8
Sometimes when I watch the news, I think of Christ’s teaching to “love your neighbor.” There are times when I wonder, “What the hell!? How am I supposed to love that person?” Do you feel that way too? Did you ever think that Christ couldn’t have meant you should love that neighbor, or that politician, or that crazy person you see on TV?
Here’s a mind experiment we can use when we find it difficult to love certain people. Accept that God loves everyone, even them. If we truly believe in God, we must accept that God loves that other person, no matter how dreadful they appear to us. Water is wet; God is love. Curiously, once we accept this, our fears of “the other” dwindle. This diminished fear is a necessary first step towards healing ourselves and our nation.
Step 2. Discernment Before Action
Once we are not driven by fear, we can truly analyze facts, think clearly, and act rationally. Then our actions are inspired by reason. When I light a fire in my fireplace, I close the screen. I do not do this out of fear that my house will burn down, but simply because it is a reasonable action for me to feel safe.
Ironically, other than the extremists who thrive on fear, most of us have the same desires: safety, peace, justice, and honesty in our governmental leaders. Many of us want a sustainable environment, social justice, and safety for our children. We can join together to that end, beyond fear.
We are not Red and Blue; we are one community, one nation. It is so simple to let healing and unity flourish in our nation today. All we have to do is remind ourselves of that one simple dictum of all religions, God is love.