I’m probably going to regret posting this. I have wrestled with it, but in the end, it was in my heart struggling to get out, and that is what this blog is for. In case you’re wondering, I think I could argue with myself about a few of the things I am about to write, so I welcome your disagreement without taking any offense. You should also know that I am the chief sinner in this post. Many of the things I am calling out I have been most guilty of.

We live in a country sharply divided along cultural, political, racial, socioeconomic, and religious lines. I’ve only been around 35 years, but it seems like we are more polarized than ever. That’s not the worst thing that can happen – a homogeneous, single-minded people can sometimes be more dangerous than warring factions (see the Tower of Babel, Nazi Germany…the list is endless). But this kind of climate can be exhausting sometimes. You never know what small thing – a movie you watched, a word you say, an opinion you have – might permanently alienate you from someone else.