TOGETHER

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

I have been thinking a lot today about what it means to overcome division. Not just to tolerate people, but to truly see and hear one another across difference.

That word, division, gets used a lot these days. And it is real. I can feel it in our politics, in our churches, and in our families. But I believe with everything in me that our communities are stronger when we choose to see the good in each other, even when we do not agree.

Empathy is not pretending everyone is right. It is not staying silent or covering up the truth. Empathy is remembering that every person you meet carries a story you do not know and a soul that God still loves.

I come from a long line of folks who believed in the power of a front porch, a strong cup of coffee, and a little time. They knew that when you hear someone’s story, it changes you. It softens something that division tries to harden.

That is what keeps me going every day. Creating space for people to be heard. Reminding folks that they matter, not because they are perfect or powerful, but because they are human.

We will not heal what is broken if we keep writing one another off. The future of this region and this country depends on people who are willing to sit down, speak gently, and stay at the table even when it is difficult.

So today, I am choosing connection over contempt. I am choosing to believe that better is still possible, for our towns, our hollers, our neighbors, and ourselves.

I love you all.

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