Let us

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Let’s stop the arrogance. Let’s stop the pride.

Let’s stop accusing our friends and family of being brainwashed because they disagree with us.

Let’s stop assuming that we know more than others because we read something (or a lot of things) on the internet that confirms our views.

Let’s stop idolizing politicians.

Let’s stop raining on each other’s celebrations or gloating over each other’s losses.

Let’s stop replacing our moral compasses with political ideologies.

Let’s stop constructing our identities around those political ideologies.

Let’s stop spending all of our time focused on only one aspect of what makes us a community – our political leadership.

Let us start looking around and loving one another.

Let us show love towards the people right in front of us–for who they are, not for what they think.

Let us start spending our time with what makes life good and beautiful.

Let us laugh.

Let us read sacred scripture, literature, poetry.

Let us listen to music, share music, make music.

Let us fill our eyes with the glimpses of God’s glory all around us.

Let us give each other gifts – gifts of time, gifts of presence, gifts of kindness.

Let us use our time on and offline to build, edify, encourage.

Let us use our words for hopefulness, not helplessness.

Let us seek for each other what we hope for ourselves.

Let us do our work with humility and righteousness,

not seeking glory, but giving grace.