Red vs Blue

This isn't really a political post. It's more of an anti-political post. It's a post about celebrating what we hold in common rather than focusing on what divides us. It's a post that encourages us to embrace our differences and utilize each other's strengths rather than exploiting each other's weaknesses.

We can do this.
We do it all the time.

We come together -- people from very diverse backgrounds -- for common causes every day.
In our communities -- we gather together to support our local school teams.  We cheer for all of the kids on the teams, not just the ones we like. They succeed as a team, so we cheer for them as a team.
Even though rivalries exist, we still come together as communities -- winners and losers -- to continue with life in our communities.

We do it in our churches. Look around you the next time you're in church. There will be plenty of people there that you would never hang around with other than for the common purpose of worshiping together. Somehow, we are able to set aside differences in order to worship as one body of believers worshiping the same God. You may be sitting in church next to the people that were across the gym cheering against you at the previous night's basketball game.

Missouri is a Red state.
And I'm not talking about politics.
It's a red state when it comes to baseball.
Oh sure, there are a few blue followers (Royals) and even fewer National League blue fans (Cubs), but it is definitely more red (St. Louis Cardinals) than blue during baseball season. And yet I still have friends and family on the other side that I manage to get along with in spite of their misguided baseball loyalties.

It is unfortunate (and unhealthy) that we have made politics into a winner take all sport in the USA.
It isn't a game. It isn't a contest to be won or lost.
I used to believe that our elected representatives shared a common purpose in looking out for the citizens of the nation but with different perspectives on how it should be done. I don't believe that anymore. Today I believe that they only represent the people that pay them the most -- and that isn't the American tax payer.
We have become more focused on the things that divide us, rather than remembering the things we have in common. We truly are a nation divided. More than being divided into red followers and blue followers, we are being divided into rich vs poor; people with power vs people without.

Wouldn't it be grand if we had a leader (or leaders) that realized we are not in a contest against one another; that government isn't a sport -- it's how we do life?
Just something to consider the next time you vote.

John <><