THOUGHTS

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Last night, I awoke in the middle of the night to a thought. 

In our country, we have reached a culture of us vs. them, a society of steep division perpetuated by the very leaders who should bring us together. 


Despite attempts to pit us against one another, I am often reminded of Esphesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens."


As Christians, we do not face battles against people who are different from ourselves. Instead, we face battles against the spirits of division, exclusion, and hatred that prevent us from caring for the least of these among us and reaching all people with the Gospel.


Our enemies are not those of other identities, religions, or creeds. The world is not full of people to hate but neighbors to love. 


The thought I had? Our leaders may be quick to blame our issues on others: other countries, immigrants, and other minorities. However, the reality is that we are all complicit in allowing our country to reach this place. 


We have allowed fear to dictate our choices, anger to cloud our judgment, and pride to harden our hearts. 

We have too often looked for someone to blame rather than seeking to be part of the solution. It is easier to point fingers than to look inward and easier to cast stones than to examine the state of our souls.


But Christ did not call us to easy things. He called us to love when it is difficult, to forgive when it is undeserved, and to seek reconciliation where division thrives. He called us to be peacemakers, not warmongers, to be servants, not rulers, to be voices of truth, not echoes of deception.


We cannot change the hearts of our leaders, nor can we single-handedly mend our country's brokenness. But we can change ourselves. We can choose to reject the narratives of fear and division. We can choose to live as Christ did, seeing every person as an image-bearer of God, worthy of dignity and love.


If we want a better nation and a better world, it must start in our homes, our communities, and our churches. It must begin with the way we speak to one another, the way we listen, the way we extend grace. It must start with a refusal to let hatred and bitterness take root in our hearts.


I pray that I, and all who claim the name of Christ, will have the courage to live differently — to stand in the gap where division has been sown and to be a light where darkness has taken hold. 


May we never forget that our battle is not with one another but with the forces that seek to keep us apart.


May we always remember that love — not power, not politics, not pride — is the only thing that will ever truly change the world.

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