“Lord, how many are my foes!

Psalm 3:1

Longing for a purple world? I wouldn’t plan on it.

For instance, meet Betty.

Betty leans red, but the rest of her family is firmly blue. Judging by the signs in people’s yards, the neighborhood around them is clearly red. That’s surprising, because their city tends to vote overwhelmingly blue. Which doesn’t seem to matter, since the county they live in is clearly red. All of this is happening smack dab in a blue state.

And the country? Well, it sure as heck ain’t purple.

You think such a scenario is fiction? Then you haven’t visited Clackamas County, Oregon. No, I’ve never been there, but ChatGPT seems to think this could actually happen there. And really, it’s not that much of a stretch of the imagination. Our nation is one big swirl of blue and red, pitted against each other at every level of society.

Has it always been this way? Yeah, kind of. Since Cain and Abel. Or read the Psalms. We’ve had bitter division in the U.S. since its founding. Remember Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson arguing over the role of government? How about the North and the South in the civil war? The colors may change, but the conflict persists.

We have argued over all things social and political for centuries, and today, we find ourselves sitting at uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners, crusading on message boards, even committing violence against those we disagree with. There are foes on every side.

Why can’t we all get along? Because we see the world very differently. We have core, deeply held convictions that seem to fall on deaf ears from the other side. Even those who try not to pick a side are attacked for perceived complacency.

Spoiler alert: Psalm 3 does not end in reconciliation. This “psalm of David” declares God to be clearly on his side, vanquishing the thousands of foes that surround him. When the stakes are this high, it’s hard to imagine an impartial God.

This devotion is not about resolving our conflicts. I think our nation will continue to be a patchwork of red and blue for years to come, and I don’t think some compromise of purple is in the cards. We will likely continue to disagree and even fight with each other over matters so important and divisive.

So where is God in all of this? Blue Christians may have one answer, and Red Christians another. I guess we can come to blows over the last turkey leg, or we can learn how to coexist.

In Ephesians, Paul issues quite the challenge. He urges us to approach each other “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3)

This is not about abandoning one’s convictions. It is about filtering them through the love of God. It is about bearing with each other. I’ll admit there are times I can’t bear to listen to another piece of misinformation or violent rhetoric. There are times I want to wipe the opposite color off the color wheel.

Instead, Christ calls us to unity. Not political unity, but unity in the Spirit. You can’t control the crazies across the aisle, but you can control your temper. You can keep up the good fight, but with humility and gentleness. Patience? That might be a stretch, but we must not give up the hope of the peace of Christ amidst our differences.

When Paul asks us to “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” he wasn’t expecting us to be of one mind in the ways of this world. He was urging us to pattern our lives after the one love of Christ. Sometimes, even for Christians, that can be a challenge.

We can fervently disagree and debate, and I expect we always will, but we must never do so at the expense of love. It may be tough love we bring to the table, but love nonetheless. It doesn’t matter what foes, imaginary and real, may be facing you down. Keep your face turned towards Christ and you won’t lose your way.

Keep the faith, seek justice, and try not to paint yourself into a hateful corner.

Remember, the love of God and neighbor

is even more vibrant

than our color schemes.

Have a good week,

Mitch