Healing a Fractured America

It’s the 4th of July, the day we celebrate our country’s independence. While I should be fully enjoying parades, barbecues and fireworks, there’s something that’s distracting me. The current state of America – and Americans – has been weighing heavy on my heart for quite some time.

I’m sure life during the Revolutionary War and the years that followed was filled with many challenges, but it seems it was much easier for Americans to identify and unite against their adversaries in 1776. Today, we live in a fractured country and we are our own worst enemies.

We are broken, not for lack of passion or patriotism, but by pride and unyielding perspectives. We have become a nation plagued with binary vision – we see issues as only yes or no, on or off, left or right, Republican or Democrat. Why do we insist on looking at life in black and white when there is so much grey area?

Life is not so simple. We live in a complex and dynamic world. Our problems are convoluted and unpredictable. Doesn’t it stand to reason that solutions to those problems must be multi-faceted and adaptable.

I don’t look at life through rose colored glasses, but I refuse to see the world in black and white, or even shades of grey, when life offers such a vibrant spectrum. I refuse to see solutions as merely this OR that, for when we look at issues objectively and we’re really honest with ourselves, we often see the answer is this AND that…AND that…AND that…oh, AND a little of that too!

I’m working on way to help diverse groups of people view, think about, and address complex issues differently to purposefully and profoundly create positive change. I’m looking for others who want to help. I need you AND you…AND you…AND you…oh, AND you too! Perhaps, together we can stitch up the wounds of our fractured America.

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