What I Want for My Country

What I want for my country is for us to each take one step closer to each other. Somehow over the last few generations we’ve become so fragmented that we’re like several countries in one and we bicker as if we’re enemies who share a land instead of patriots who have got each other’s backs covered.

Of course I would love it if other countries would perceive us as being strong and brave and good, but it’s even more important to me that we actually behave in a strong, brave and good manner here, at home and become strong, brave and good, collectively. If we ARE strong, brave and good there will be no problem with the way others perceive us.

What I want for my country is that each of us would develop a spirit of sacrifice. If somehow we could each tolerate having less, desiring less, hoping for less so that others could have more. If we could settle for a little less so that the future could hold more and so that prosperity could be more balanced, we would be a stronger country. Being content with what we have would cut off the flow of corruption that has run so rampant in our corporations. A content heart has no passion for greed. Being content with what we have engenders generosity so that our churches and charitable organizations might more easily flourish. A content heart has a little extra for those in need. A content heart does not need to exploit others to get what it wants. A content heart can watch a commercial and calm the urgency to consume just by remembering how well our needs are met already.

And what I want for my country is a surge of gentle courtesy to become the popular norm. Instead of vying for the last word or to one-up the next person, it would be a wonderful switch if we were all trying to outdo each other with courtesy and kind deeds. I don’t mean Emily Post stiff formal eyebrows lifted if you use the wrong spoon manners, I’m talking about common courtesy where one uses the words, “please,” and “thank-you,” and doesn’t interrupt another unless it’s an emergency. I’m talking about opening doors for another and holding elevators, smiling and tipping one’s hat, saying good morning and being polite. I’m talking about the kinds of things many of our parents tried to teach us when we were very young. It may have seemed silly and pointless back then, but if you think about it now, common courtesy is a wonderful way to engage the world around you and a baby step toward peace. A courteous demeanor does not inspire murder, does not hurt feelings, does not injure another. Thinking back on the Columbine shootings I wonder if all of those children would still be alive if the students had just practiced common courtesy towards each other. Would Eric and Dylan have grown that spirit of murderous bitterness if the students had not been taunting them but instead been speaking to them in a polite, even kind, manner?

This country was founded on the belief that each of us should be allowed to have an opinion and a religious belief and that our freedom to practice our religion and hold our opinions was a sacred freedom. I believe in Jesus and I have a strong belief and, yes, I do belief He is the only way to the Father. Nevertheless, I believe in our country citizens are free to worship however they see fit providing it doesn’t harm others. Even more, I believe I owe it to others to respect their form of worship regardless of my opinion about it’s validity. I also believe it is my duty and responsibility to exercise self-restraint when someone else expresses an opinion that differs from mine and that I should show respect for that person’s opinion. At the same time, I should be able to expect the other person to show respect for my opinion and, ideally, we should be able to exchange ideas and maybe even come out of the exchange having grown and expanded each of our minds in some way that has made us stronger, better, and improved not only ourselves but our country as a whole. And, yes, it’s hard to use that self-restraint when you’re feeling passionate about something (ie: the presidential candidate, your religion, your feelings about abortion) but that is the price of expecting the same respect in return. After all, you wouldn’t want someone jumping all over you because of your beliefs, would you? We LIKE living in an environment that encourages us to be individuals and encourages us to state who we are!

And these are the things I want most for my country. If we managed to cultivate our closeness to each other, our kindness, courtesy, character, contentment and respect, I believe everything else would fall into place. I believe that if these core traits were developed, the economy would straighten out, our foreign relations would even out, our bi-partisan bickering would simmer down, crime would drop, employment rates would increase, things would improve as a direct result of us cleaning up from the inside out.

That’s what I want for our country.