reconstruction in a time of war

“But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?” - Mark Twain

The uncivil discourse, the stalemate and partisan rhetoric that dominates our political landscape exists because we allow it to exist. We participate in it. We dehumanize and villainize our countrymen as if we were at war with them. We perpetuate horrific visions of the opposing sides’ standard barriers and we insist that they are the embodiment of evil. Our leaders act as they do because we provide them with the paradigm of their methods. Who are we that we espouse values of love and fellowship, charity and kindness … compassion … and yet we willingly eviscerate those who are not like us. We take satisfaction in their woes … we celebrate their failures. What we cannot see is that in hating our opponents, we hate ourselves. In seeking their failure, we race after our own. What Lincoln knew … the lesson we have yet to learn … the same divisions that tore us apart still reside.