Divided

In the body of Christ, we have much in common.  We are created by the same God, we have the same Savior, we are all, as 2nd Peter 1 says, "partakers of the divine nature," and we are brought together
by the same Spirit. There is more than unites us that divides us. Colossians 1 states:
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

We are in Christ, and this is our common history - and our common nature.  He wants us to walk together as one.  There is great power in that unity, which is why Satan would want to keep us apart, provoking us to turn against each other rather than turn to Christ to solve the issues that would keep us divided.  We can find common ground, not through blaming and attempting to verbally bludgeon someone into submission; instead, we can demonstrate the love of Christ toward each other and work toward understanding, allowing the love of Christ and the Spirit of God to guide us.

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We can have the realization that human relationships can be improved as we acknowledge our
common origins, rather than dwell on our differences. Paul proclaimed in Acts 17:
24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being...

The events of the past few days have exposed divides among Americans on a variety of issues related to race relations. A Gallup poll taken earlier this year shows that about a-third of Americans were either very or somewhat satisfied with the state of race relations in the country, with two-thirds dissatisfied - with 25% very dissatisfied. In that same poll, it seems as if Americans were evenly split on "the position of blacks and other racial minorities in the nation."  But, the level of satisfaction about race relations had actually increased since 2016, when only 27% expressed satisfaction, down from 55% in 2014.

More recent polling data shows a negative perception of race relations: A Yahoo! News/YouGov poll indicates that 27% of those surveyed felt race relations were generally good and 57% said they were generally bad.  75% of blacks feel those relations are "generally bad." In that same survey, two-thirds indicated they did not feel that blacks and whites received equal treatment from the police.  63% of whites and 91% of blacks felt that way.  And, just over 6-in-10 Americans feel that deaths of African-Americans in police encounters are "signs of a broader problem."

Regarding protests and the nature of them, Americans have overall strong views. The article reporting on the Yahoo! News/YouGov poll relates:

...a slim majority of Americans describe the unrest that has erupted in Minneapolis as “mostly violent riots” (51 percent) as opposed to “mostly peaceful protests” (10 percent). A quarter (25 percent) see the demonstrations as a mixture of both, “about equally.”

Asked to characterize the motives of the demonstrators, Americans were torn, with 43 percent attributing the unrest to “a genuine desire to hold police officers accountable” and 40 percent chalking it up to “a long-standing bias against the police.”

This poll was taken in late May, so it does not appear to reflect that national wave of protests.  But, a more recent Emerson poll does.  The survey summary says:

Regarding the protests, 46% approve and 38% disapprove of the protests, with 16% being neutral. When it comes to looting and other acts of destroying property as a means of protest, 17% approve, 76% disapprove, and 8% are neutral.

But this poll indicates some seeds of optimism.  The summary states:

Whether or not the protesting will lead to change and a reduction of police brutality is also split, with a plurality (36%) of voters being unsure that police brutality instances will decrease. Thirty-five percent (35%) have faith that police brutality will be reduced, and 29% believe it will not.

A plurality (45%) believe that race relations today are better than they were during the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, but 25% think that race relations today are worse, and 30% believe things have stayed the same.

Thinking towards the future, a majority (54%) believe that race relations will improve, 25% think things will worsen, and 26% believe things will stay the same.

This data can remind us once again of the nature of the polarized country that we have.  And, there are certainly stark differences between blacks and whites on the state of race relations in America.  That's dealing with things now - but, how will that impact the future?  There is optimism, according to one poll. So how do you capitalize and grow those seeds?

One thing is to recognize the problem.  Now, there are many reasons that we are divided. And, trust is not built overnight. We cannot sweep these deeply held beliefs under the rug and deny that they exist.  We can lament the problem but labor toward solutions.

And, that's where the Church can be so powerful - as we recognize the issues that divide us, through careful and clear communication and interaction, we can work toward a better understanding and gain a sense first of all, in the body of Christ that we are one body; the Bible even says that we are one race.  But, we can't just see there is a problem, complain about it, and be satisfied with the way things are; rather, we can be willing to be people of action and affirmation, working toward the common goal of helping people live together in harmony.

The gospel shows us how to do that, and we also recognize there is an element of the condition of the heart - the love of Christ bringing a person into a saving knowledge of our Savior.  The presence of Christ can wipe away the vestiges of hostility that have riddled humanity for centuries.