Together We Are Better

I'm pondering the world events that are and have taken place over the last few months; from rallies, to protests, to natural disasters. I am thinking about all the notifications that have popped up on my phone telling me when another bombing has happened. And then I think about all the news reports and headlines about what this politician has done and what that politician has said. So many pointed fingers that have stirred up so many arguments and debates. I don't understand it all, and I'm not even going to try. But I think there is a lesson for humanity in it all and I want to dig into it a bit.

I grew up in the same area where I was born. We never really left the borders of where we lived, where our church was, my grandparent's house, and the grocery store. But when I was 14 I had the opportunity to go on my first missions trip to the country of El Salvador. As I prepared for my trip I had no concept of what it would be like, not just the scenery but the people, the culture, and the atmosphere. I had never traveled so I didn't have a basis to form conclusions. I left American soil with a very narrow outlook.

When we arrived my eyes were quickly opened wide within minutes of stepping off the plane. I could feel so much hurting, poverty, and discord. I think back to our first conversations with the missionaries and their warnings for us to not look people on the streets in the eyes because it would entice a challenge; or that hand gestures we as Americans thought of as friendly waves actually representing calls for prostitutes there. My mind was blown. How could so much strife exist so plainly, I thought. But then the information continued. We learned of battles between neighborhoods, the Guerrillas against the military, and even battles between the Catholics and Protestants. On top of all of that, the country had suffered thousands, not just one or two, THOUSANDS of earth quakes in the beginning of the year. Leaving the already unstable country in shambles. At one point while we were on our bus we had military men with automatic rifles jump on to offer "protection" from the neighborhood we were driving through. 

At 14, that is a lot of information and activity to process through. I was having a hard time looking at the people as people and not just seeing situations. But then we held our first ministry service. And my perspective cleared up a bit. The foggy precepts faded to the sides as I watched hurting people unite together in the presence of the Lord. I watched them serve each other food, hold each other as they cried, and literally lift each others arms up in worship. I remember thinking how amazing it was that all of this craziness was going on around them and yet they gathered together and hope was shining bright. To me that says unity enables hope. It was when they were together for the same purpose, to reach the same goal that unity overcame the heaviness of the it all.

If we stop and look back at Jesus' time here on the earth we can see that He knew the necessity of unity, being together. He is the Lord and He still chose to gather with His disciples to change this world. He didn't just choose to be around the people who talked most like Him, or the ones who looked like Him. He chose to encounter men and women of all kinds... because their differences did not negate that they were people who needed love.

"How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"

 Psalm 133:1

About a month after I got back from El Salvador 9/11 happened and my theory was proven. I watched as our country stopped the politics, stopped the finger pointing, stopped the words filled with hate, and in place of all that junk they loved each other, they fought for each other, they were unified. In times of real struggles, people will come together. 

And when I reflect back to where our country currently stands it proves my theory all over again. Yes, there are not so wholesome, and some down right inhumane things happening in our nation. There are some people who's ideologies and perceptions of the world are completely out of whack, with extremism on each side. There are politics that we do not agree on, and there are politicians we do not like. BUT, when we have groups of people, from every background, gathering together in Texas at this very moment to save as many people as possible in a natural disaster, it says something. People driving from thousands of miles away to bring their boats to rescue those stuck in the floods. People sending clothes, food and money to help offer some hope. Not caring what color, shape, size, sex, or age they are. They are united together and it is creating an aroma of hope.

So I think my point in writing all this is to say: when the flood waters fade back from Texas, and the world returns to a (semi) normal state, people are still going to be people. We will disagree at times; we will all have our own ways of thinking. But I urge you, to not let your perspective narrow. Remind yourself daily, maybe even hourly, that our differences and disagreements don't matter when it comes to the important stuff, and it shouldn't take us waiting till the next natural disaster to recognize it. If we will just take the time to love each other past all of that, unity will happen and hope will be stirred. We aren't too far gone, and we can still accomplish so much together! And together we are a better country, family, friend, neighbor, person!