One Election to Save America

Many Americans — primarily on the right — are declaring this upcoming election to be most important in the history of the United States, and possibly the world. Evangelist Franklin Graham has stated, “We’ve got maybe one election left.” Glenn Beck warns, “This is your last call, America.”

This kind of talk is nothing new — I can vividly remember how the 2012 election between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama was couched as the very same thing. That being said, I have to admit that there may be some truth to what these gentlemen and those like them are saying. But they will no doubt disagree with my assessment as to why.

For the Christian right, there is a litany of popular reasons as to why the end of America is near. One of the most oft-cited ones is the so-called “homosexual agenda,” with their obnoxious demand to have the same rights as straight people. The nerve!

All kidding aside, I will say that there is a real threat to the country — nay, the world — right now, but many on the right seem either to not notice, not care, or have turned a blind eye to it. Perhaps that has something to do with their dispensationalist worldview, where in which the earth is going to eventually burn anyway. I am not sure. Regardless, the threat that has the potential to create chaos for us is retributive violence.

I don’t say this to incite fear. I do believe, in the end, all will be well. And not only do I believe that, but I also have some hope for the future, as there does seem to be an awakening of sorts, here and abroad, inside and outside of Christianity — a deep yearning for a truly unified and peaceful humanity.

However — and unfortunately this is a big “however” — there also seems to be a mass of people, fueled by the trumpeting of a growing number of “leaders,” who are becoming more and more divided with one another. Tensions are growing, and growing rapidly. Based on the strained relations between black Americans and white Americans, Christians and Muslims, liberals and conservatives, and so many other “groups,” the potential for an all-against-all type of violence is very present in the U.S. today.

Because of this, many are on the hunt for scapegoats. And while we all scapegoat one another, those who seem to be doing it the loudest and in front of the largest groups of others are those on the Christian right.

Who are their scapegoats of choice? Muslims, and the LGBT community, and others as well.

I don’t say this just to turn around and scapegoat the right. Criticizing and accusing are two separate things anyway, as my friend Michael Hardin aptly pointed out in a Facebook post:

“There is a big difference between criticism/critique and accusation. We all use criticism all the time: when we read the ingredients on a product we buy in the store, when we purchase clothing and make sure it doesn’t have flaws, when we disagree (politely) with one another. Criticism is not scapegoating. This distinction is where people get confused. They say ‘you are criticizing so and so and scapegoating them.’ This is incorrect.”

My goal here is actually to highlight something that will be crucial in understanding why the U.S. is in such a state of division. For the scapegoating mechanism to really work — for it to focus the civilization’s frenzied all-against-all violence onto a surrogate — the people have to be united. But the scapegoating of Muslims and the LGBT community and others is not yet a united effort. Rather, there is division — and what is quickly becoming chaos.

And the status-quo way to peace also states that we need a victim/s at which to uniformly point our finger — if not toward Muslims and the LGBT community, then elsewhere.

But true peace will require a higher level of consciousness, one where our interdividualism is recognized and acknowledged, and where radical forgiveness becomes our new reality.

We may have to engage in the political process. But no matter how we engage in that process, we must do so with empathy in our hearts, and peace on our tongues. Unlike those who act like wolves, seeking to devour others with their words of judgment and condemnation (Matt. 7:1–5), we must engage others as servants who do not lord anything over them (Matt. 20:24–28).

As Americans, we must have empathy for the Mexican people driven from their lands due in large part because of the United States’ war on drugs, and not advocate for a giant wall to keep them trapped in a situation we helped create.

We must have empathy for Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn cities and homes because of a situation that, again, we helped create.

We must not demonize the LGBT community and blame them for simply wanting the same rights our culture affords straight people. We must not blame them for when a natural disaster strikes, like Europeans did to the Jews when the Black Death hit Europe.

And we must certainly not turn to those in “leadership” roles who continue to openly create scapegoats. Those who perpetuate the “us vs. them” mentality only worsen the problem and drive us all further apart.

Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits,” which can be interpreted as, “You will know them by their scapegoated victims,” or even, “You will know them by their accusatory fingers.”

It is becoming more and more obvious what kind of fruit this 2016 election crop is bearing. With accusations being flung around left and right, and judgment being placed by those in no place to judge, the fruit seems to be spoiling on the vine. Let us hope that this changes before it is too late.

Don't say Glenn Beck didn't warn you.