Concerned About Division

 

As I was voting last week, behind me a fight broke out.  It wasn't a physical fight, but it was a definite verbal fight.  The volunteers were being nazi-like in their enforcement of the no cell phone or electronic device rule.  They said there were signs posted, but there were none.  I only know this because I too was a victim of a volunteer with 10 minutes of power rebuking me for disregarding the sign that didn't exist.  I was somehow able to not give him the tongue-lashing I had come up with in my heart.  The guy behind me wasn't able to show this type of restraint, and a pretty impressive argument ensued.  I'm not really into politics, and these thoughts are not political suggestions or proclamations.  They are just some of my attempts to resolve my own political tensions. 

I walked away completely frustrated with my voting experience, and I've been able to work through some thoughts since then.  First of all, the past 20 months of campaigning have forced most of our nation into a corner.  It's created a huge us vs. them mentality.  Parties have divided people.  More than that, it's caused people to decide that they're better than other people based on who they feel should be elected.  Tensions are high as a divided people anticipate the arrival of the new "Savior" to occupy the oval office.   I worry about the post-election fallout.  What happens when someone loses?  Will the people who so violently oppose a certain candidate really be able to line up under their authority should they win?  I know this happens to a degree after every election, but it seems this time it's going to be worse this time around.  

A nation divided against itself will not stand.  As different camps have magnified what all the disagreements are, I wonder if we'll be able to recover and unite with what we have in common.  I wonder if people will be able to come out of their corners and embrace whoever the "losers" are in this election.  I realize that the "under God" part is already a problem with those who oppose a belief in God.  Are we now on the verge of losing the "one nation" bit as well?

I was just trying to do my part to be a responsible citizen and vote my conscious and convictions, but I walked away not feeling like I had done anything to make my country a better place.  I left concerned about the tension that exists in our land.  If our hope is really in either one of these two men running for office, God help us.