We and They

We ain’t going anywhere. Neither are they.

“Who is ‘we’ and ‘they’ in those statements?” you might be asking.

Well, “we” is whoever we are and “they” is whoever they are. “We” is those who are like we are and “they” is those who are different than we are. “We” refers to our kind and “they” to their kind.

I would tell you to fill in the blanks in the sentence “We are ___________ and they are __________ ,” but your attitudes, thoughts, opinions, words, and actions indicate that you already have. And how you fill in the blanks depends on the answers to lots of questions, like: (1) Who’s your mama and daddy? (2) Where do you hail from? (3) Where’ve you been? (4) What’d you learn in school and in what schools did you learn it? (5) Do you only know and talk to your kind or do you know and talk to other kinds? (6) Where do you get your news? (7) How much do you read and what do you read? (8) How have you experienced life? (9) How aware are you that other people haven’t had the same life experiences as you? (10) How willing are you to expand your knowledge and worldview while simultaneously acknowledging that no matter how much you know, it’s a very small fraction of all there is to know?

People who would answer those questions differently than you do would fill in the blanks differently than you would. And there are lots more people who are different than you who are like you.

Like I said, we aren’t going anywhere and neither are they. Some of us and some of them think that’s not the case, but they’re wrong. Some of us think we can eradicate them and some of them think they can eradicate us, but we and they are wrong, because there’s no way to do that without destroying us all. Some of us think we can carve out an enclave made up of people like we are and some of them think they can carve out an enclave made up of people like they are, but we and they are wrong, because there’s no way to do that without destroying ourselves or themselves. Some of us and some of them think the world would be a better place if everyone was like we or they are, but we and they are wrong, because, people being people, it wouldn’t stay that way for long—and life would be incredibly boring if it did.

The great theologian Sly Stone summed up what I’m trying to say way back in 1969 when he sang, “We got to live together.” That’s not easy. In fact, it may be much more difficult than trying to stay apart or to beat each other into submission. It’ll take people of good will from all places and all persuasions committing themselves to peace and progress with the same fervor that radicals do to conflict and regress.

It’ll require the vast majority of us coming to think in terms of “all” rather than “us” and ‘them.”

And I mean “all,” not “all us” and “all y’all.”

America Is Already Great

I recently spent a week in San Antonio, Texas. I was there to represent the publishing company I work for at a preaching conference.

I had a good time.

I had a good time before I even left for San Antonio. The Atlanta airport is a fascinating place. There, all kinds of people wait to board their flights for all kinds of places. They are young, old, and middle-aged. They are families traveling with children and people traveling alone. They are of various sexual orientations. They have varying financial situations. They are sick and well. They are of many different races, ethnicities, nationalities, cultures, and religions. I got a kick out of observing them

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(The most amazingly diverse collection of people with which I ever awaited a flight was in Nairobi, Kenya back in 2010. The colors, the clothes, the languages—I was amazed at humanity’s beautiful variety, which was packed tightly together in one waiting area.)

One reason I had a good time after I got to San Antonio is that it is a great place to eat. One night I had the best brisket I’ve ever tasted. Another night I had the best chili relleno (my favorite Mexican dish) I’ve ever eaten. I also had a couple of good steaks (although I must admit I’ve had better. In fact, I’ve grilled better ones myself).

Another reason I had a good time is that the preachers who assemble for this particular annual conference are a delightful bunch. They come from churches in denominations that are often referred to as “mainline.” I talked with pastors from the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Alliance of Baptists. They came from every region of the United States and from many places in Canada. I talked with one pastor from Australia. They were women and men. They were brown, black, and white. They are committed to their calling and craft.

One day, I stopped in a German-themed establishment on the River Walk (a shopping, dining, and lodging development along the San Antonio River, which runs through the heart of the city). The waitresses were lovely Latinas dressed in German garb. A two-man band was playing German songs; one of them wore a Jamaican dreadlocks wig.

As I marveled at the sight, it dawned on me: America is already great. 

And America will become even greater as we more fully embrace our ever-increasing diversity as the great gift it is.