Our country needs unity

I woke up this morning feeling sick. I’m deeply saddened, I’m angry, and have so many unanswered questions. What is supposed to be a free country, a place where you can have your own beliefs and have a voice, has turned into something it was never meant to become. America was supposed to be a place where you can freely speak out on what you believe in safely. Even more specifically, this place was supposed to be the safest country there is for Christians. We have had it so good compared to what some other countries face. Yet yesterday, we witnessed a Christian be assassinated for sharing the gospel and his biblical beliefs. What have we become? This is not the first time this has happened. There’s many more unjust assassinations that have been occurring over the years. Aside from that, school shootings and stabbings have been occurring every month it seems like. So much evil has been occurring and it’s sickening and horrifying to watch.

The enemy has been poisoning our world. The only antidote for that poison is Jesus. The only cure for the side effects of that poison is Jesus. Jesus is the cure for the fear and the horror these shootings and evil has caused. Jesus is the peace among the chaos. He is the light amidst the darkness. He is the only way. The enemy is trying to tear us apart. He wants division more than anything, that is one of his tactics. Republicans and Democrats for example. I hate how divided and hateful BOTH sides are to each other. This is not what Jesus wanted. No, He calls us to LOVE one another DESPITE our differences. When we fight each other and create more division, the enemy wins. Why can’t we as a country be able to have civil conversations with each other with those we disagree? Why do we keep letting the enemy win? The enemy rejoices when we pick fights at each other and use hateful speech toward each other. And I am talking about both Democrats and Republicans. Both are guilty of this. Love wins. Jesus wins.

We will not be silenced. For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) We have the power to speak. We have the power to love. We have the power to have peace. We are not defenseless. We have Jesus in us. This is me speaking out and using my voice and my small platform. This is what the Lord has put on my heart. Our country needs unity now more than ever and attacking each other does not achieve this. We all need to come up higher in this, myself included. We need to be a country that seeks peace and love, just how Jesus wanted. This is not a right or a left issue, this is a heart issue. Division is the enemy's specialty poison. But unity is the opposite of division. Unity is how we are going to come out of this strong. Without unity, we don't have a chance. Grieve, mourn, speak up. Lock arms with one another. Pray. Don't lose sight of Jesus. He is the light amidst the dark world we live in.

Charlie Kirk was a good man who spoke boldly of his faith. He was a loving father and husband. No, I don't agree with every single thing he said. However, I admired his heart for Gen Z. He listened to us when no one else in that platform did. He cared about us. He educated us when no one else cared to. He will be remembered, and there is comfort in knowing he is with Jesus in heaven right now. My heart grieves for his family. I can't even fathom what they are walking through right now. No one deserves to die for what they believe in. Period.

We have become desensitized to death and violence. We see it just about everyday. Every time social media is opened you see reports of car crashes, shootings, stabbings, violent protests, wars, disasters, and more. We see graphic videos that become engrained in your head. Videos our souls were never meant to see. We go along with our days, trying to forget the horrific things we saw. We change the subject. We talk around it. Try to distract ourselves. According to AAP, by the time the average American turns 18, they have seen over 200,000 violent acts on their screens. Let that sink in. "The brain copes with constant tragedy by switching off empathy... Repeated exposure to violent media decreases empathy and increases anger and aggression across cultures." (Dr. Caroline Leaf) Let yourself mourn. Let yourself feel. Our brain is wired for humanity. We can't lose our empathy.

I don't know the right words to say in these situations. But I do know that Jesus reigns above it all. I do know that we live in a broken and evil world. I do know that Jesus triumphs over death. In times like these, we have to cling to the truth. There's a lot out there being said from all different kinds of people. Jesus is the only way we will get through this. We have to stand united. Don't let this tear us even more apart. Don't let this cause more division. Even in the darkest times, we can cling to the truth that Jesus has already overcome the world. Death does not get the final word. He does. Our hope is not in politics, safety, or circumstances, but in the eternal promise that one day every tear will be wiped away.

Romans 12:21 — “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”