Hey God, are you a Democrat or a Republican?

Hey God, I hope you are having a good day in the blue yonder.

As an all knowing religious leader, maybe your angel advisors have tried to keep from you that America is in turmoil.

While Americans might not want to admit it, I suspect that you know America has been heading toward upheaval for decades.

Quick to blame our political parties and their leaders for our shortcomings, rarely do we point the finger of blame back at ourselves.

Every four years, we have a presidential election.

Those elections have become flip flop events.

A newly elected Democratic president might change things championed by the preceding Republican president.

It works the other way too.

This flip flop leadership is disturbing. The common good of the people is jeopardized.

I don’t understand why our leaders take pride in these disruptive revengeful reversals.

Your son, Jesus, was quite the teacher. He was adept in using parables to teach and reteach us that we must love our neighbors.

At this moment in my life, I have a failing grade in loving my neighbors.

I don’t understand how my Republican friends can support our current president.

Those same Republican friends wonder why I’m unsupportive of their president.

So, God, I’m wondering are you a Democrat or a Republican?

Who do you support in this turmoil?

Before you answer, ponder this.

In our Pledge of Allegiance to America’s flag we purport the following beliefs: “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Right now, I don’t sense those words are true to our souls.

If your angels reported the latest data on religion in America from the Pew Research Center, you know we are more likely to be “religiously unaffiliated” than “one nation under God.”

You also know, we are a divided country.

And as for liberty and justice for all, ‘all’ keeps losing ground.

I repeatedly ask myself— where is the middle?

Where are those commonalities for working together?

God, I’m sure you remember Barbara Bush, maybe you see her everyday up there.

I wonder does Mrs. Bush ever bring up her wise quote: “I hate the fact that people think ‘compromise’ is a dirty word.”

When she hovers near you, does Mrs. Bush ever say: “Hey God, could you remind America about my quote?”

Regrettably, we put more energy into undermining each other instead of finding the means to work together.

I’m no theologian, but I’m curious about how these words from the Bible apply to our judgment: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

What do you see in our hearts now?

Do you see hearts that have been misguided and overtaken by disrespect, fear, greed, hate, incivility, revenge, and selfishness?

With all the chaos in the world, I doubt if you have much quiet time for reading.

But, you might want to read—When The Sea Came Alive An Oral History Of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff. Your name appears in the book quite a bit.

In the Epilogue, I read this quote from Private Maynard Marquis: “It’s too bad we have to have wars, but I think we always will. People never change. Only the weapons change.”

Private Marquis was correct. We are stubbornly resistant to change.

As far as warfare weapons, the internet has become a psychological one.

I’m sorry God, but I owe you an apology. It is unfair of me to ask if you are a Democrat or Republican.

Everyday, people ask you heartbreaking questions—why is my grandchild battling cancer, why is my son an opioid addict, why did another Veteran die from death by suicide, why did we lose our daughter in a senseless school shooting?

Respectfully, with regard to questions, your plate is full.

However, Americans must be asking insightful, probing questions of ourselves.

In the famous “They call me Mr. Tibbs” scene from the movie In The Heat Of The Night, two piercing questions are asked: “My God what kind of people are you? What kind of place is this?”

God as you look down upon America, are those two questions roiling through your heart like they are mine?

Part of me wonders is America facing its own internal D-Day?

Will our longstanding stubborn neglect related to national debt, safety, mental health, housing, and the erosion of our families implode us?

H.L. Mencken once wrote: “The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell the truth.”

America, what kind of people are we, what kind of place is this?

Americans, this is urgent. Our hearts must answer.