REALITY GAP: Nobody seems concerned

“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Most of us want a clean, easy story. There are good guys and bad guys. Just think of the last breakup you or a close friend had. You (your friend) were, of course, the good guy. Perfect? No, but fundamentally virtuous and doing your/their best. Your/their ex? Narcissistic, manipulative, immature, emotionally unavailable, and completely lacking communication skills. Me vs. Him. 

Us vs. Them. 

I learned years ago that so long as I didn’t use proper nouns, I could have the exact same political conversation with people on both sides of the aisle. It’s almost as though we inhabit different worlds. What’s fascinating to me is how neither side seems curious about what the other is seeing. Nobody seems concerned about the gap between realities. So long as the news source you trust is telling the story you want to hear, the other side be damned with their conspiracy theories and/or fake news.  

We are being called upon in this moment to evolve spiritually. It’s very challenging, unsexy, world-saving work. It involves hopping off the bandwagon and hopping off of Facebook. It involves getting face to face in spaces that aren’t performative. It involves holding our tongues long enough to consider. It involves humility and strength. There ARE things in this world worth fighting for, but before you go to war with your brother, you had better know what those are.  

There is honest work to do, but are you willing to meet the villains in your own heart first?

DANA FLEMING

Rathdrum