As the divisions in the United States appear to be growing wider and deeper; as fists are raised and epithets hurled; as the unity of our states is being delineated by the color of the majority opinion; we must recognize that we are all headed down a one-way road together even if we appear to be on the opposite sides.

That road is leading us in the direction of more of the same. Division. Cancellation. Separation.

When we come to the table looking through the lenses reading “other“ we will continue to see just that. On both sides of the table.

Consider, just for a moment, just as an experiment, putting on a pair of glasses that only allow you to see similarity - the things you share in common - with the person across the table or across the barricade.

What if you could see them from the moment they were born? What if you could see all of the challenges and victories that they had encountered in their lifetime? You could see all of the joy and the celebrations. You could see all of the pain and grief and suffering. You could see the fullness of their humanity.  All of it in one brief flash. If you could see all of the experiences that went into their becoming “them”, your body would likely soften and your heart might open, even just the tiniest little bit.

Only when we can come to the table or the streets or the post on social media and are willing to see the “others“ through the lens of our common humanity, with compassion, can we begin the process of resolving our perceived differences. With an opening of our hearts rather than an armoring of them, there is room for solutions to begin to reveal themselves that we had never even considered when we were both so heavily defended and armed with our own righteousness.

When we stand, fists raised, united against anything, we are pushing with force up against what we perceive to be the problem. We are doing what “they” are. We are hating the haters. 

When we stand united with love, the energy changes. We soften and open. It becomes the crack that lets the light in…

Until we have a change of heart, an opening of hearts, we will continue down the same dead-end road - together.

When we can begin to open our hearts and rise above the muck and mire of othering we will have a new vantage point. We will be able to see the higher plan. We will begin to heal ourselves and this planet. Together.