On September 11, 2001, we came together as a nation. The fireballs were red, the white ash fell and the courage of the first responders in blue filled our television screens. Red, white and blue.

No political parties. No skin color. No church affiliation. Nothing mattered. We were Americans and we stood united.

Now, we have Harvey, Irma, Maria and Las Vegas. We have an opportunity to be united again…still…but we are not choosing to be united – we are divided.

Folks, we are Americans.

I’ve seen both sides of every issue spewing hatred. I gotta tell you, it’s most disappointing from those who profess to follow Christ. We’re the reason the world won’t give God a chance – they can’t stomach our meanness.

WWJD – What would Jesus do?

Keep in mind, He was (and is) perfect. I am not. You are not. We need to be careful which stone we pick up to throw in His name. He didn’t throw a stone, did He? Not one.

I can’t, in good conscience, do anything less than just back up and try to re-frame my view and my thought process to look through His eyes. We’re asked to speak the truth in love.

If you’re not sure about that, read Ephesians 4. Yep, the whole chapter.

• Here are just a few words to chew on from that chapter:
• Humble
• Gentle
• Patient
• Love
• Unity
• Peace
• Grace
• Hard hearts
• Futile thinking
• Be made new in the attitude of your minds
• No unwholesome talk
• Building others up
• Be kind and compassionate
• Forgive

Re-read verses 31 and 32.

That’s quite a reminder of how followers of Christ can treat each other and those around them.

Yes, we need to discern right from wrong, but we’re not doing it right if all we’re doing is pushing people further away from Hope. You think Satan is having a heyday? He is. Is he using you and me? I believe so.

Each political party has members who are prayerfully voting their Christian conscience, but neither side seems to want to be civil to each other. What makes you think you’re gonna enjoy eternity with each other?

Brothers and sisters, we are wise to stop and think before we say, tweet or post something that doesn’t reflect Jesus and His absolute love for His creation. The person next to us is created in the image of God.

I am speaking to myself. I am guilty. It’s hard to break old habits, but I’m working diligently to break down the walls of hatred and judgement. We may disagree with each other, but we can choose our words wisely. Do our words condemn or do they foster respectful dialogue? We can agree to disagree.

Respect. That’s not as common as it once was. We hide behind our computer screen and feel relatively safe in making any comment we choose. When we read something that we think disrespects our viewpoint, we’re offended and we punch back. Is that the best choice?

We are Americans.

I love you whether you love my God or not.

We are Americans.

Here’s a tough potential dividing line – I love you whether you drive a Chevy or a Ford. (That’s true love, right there!)

We are Americans.

We might as well work together and want the best for each other all the time, not just in a crisis.

We are Americans.

Find someone in your circle with whom you disagree. Pray for them – not that they will begin to agree with you but rather, pray for their health, finances and family. Send them a private message telling them to have a groovy day.

We are Americans.

Want to make America great? I truly believe that starts with us caring about one another.

We are Americans.

Let’s start a quiet, powerful movement to pray for our nations’ leaders to be honorable and trustworthy. How fun would it be to watch their hearts turn upward rather than left or right?

We are Americans.

Instead of standing up for ourselves, how about we all kneel in service to our neighbors?

We are Americans.

Yes, we can be the heart of change. If we truly believe that the Holy Spirit lives in us, we will be astounded at what He can do when we just submit ourselves to His will. I am confident that loving our neighbor is His will.

We are Americans. Let’s start acting like we’re on the same team.