How can we change this political polarity and turn our differences into a strength? It won’t be easy. Family members are disenfranchised from each other. Friendships have dissolved. The poor are against the rich; the rich are against the poor. Democrats hate Republicans, Republicans hate Democrats. Christians hate Muslims., Muslims hate Jews. Even religion has become politicized. These are generalizations of course. Most of the people, I believe (I am the eternal optimist), can still be friends with those who have differing political and social views, different stations in life, but the exceptions are far too many. 

I am sure, like me, you have seen relationships with friends, maybe even relatives, be cooled, and possibly lost forever, because of this polarity.

One thing we can do is to try civil dialogue. I know it is not easy, and sometimes it is impossible. I have had the experience of trying to explain to someone that the mayor of Washington DC should not be blamed for the violence and death at our Capitol because she could not order in the National Guard to prevent the insurrection of Jan 6, 2021, since she does not have authority over Federal buildings. And dealing with someone who claims you cannot be a Christian and a Democrat or that you can’t be a Christian and a Republican, can really try your patience.

I think we can go back to the question, “What would Saint Francis Do?” He went to war with dreams of becoming a famous knight but was quickly disillusioned by the war caused by political differences. And he came back from that war a broken man, as many of our veterans do. He turned his life around after that experience. In a future article you will learn more about his peace-making attempts during the Crusades when we went to meet with the Sultan Malik al-Kamil. Like Christ, he spent much of his life trying to live in peace and guide others to peaceful resolution of conflict. Perhaps Francis’ famous peace prayer can be the start of reconciling political differences.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Would it not be amazing if political leaders, the news media, and all of us would try to live by these words of Saint Francis? Could we remove political and social polarity by sowing love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and joy as he did?