The One Thing in Politics: A Final Word

This notion of chasing the ultimate good in politics (the One Thing) is not so simple. I’m no Pollyanna, and I have a pretty firm understanding of the complexities of the geopolitical world. A communicator by trade, I have some grasp of the war of words constantly waged by both the right-facing media and the left-facing media. I see the manipulations and know just how much it complicates the vote. I wish it weren’t so.

I’m closing this series out today because I’d like to move to other areas of examination. Before I do, I’d like to ask for mercy. Have mercy on me if we don’t see eye-to-eye on certain political issues. Have mercy on those politicians trying their best to keep a country churning. (I must admit I believe this to be a relatively small segment of today’s politicians.) I’d ask you to make peace with your neighbors, too. After all, what is peace-making but the attitude of mercy in action?

Of course, this does not mean you cannot have a political opinion, feel strongly about certain issues, or disagree with coworkers and family members vehemently. Instead, it means there’s no need to demonize others. As I said on Twitter this weekend,

Your weekend reminder: You can profoundly disagree with someone's rationale without demonizing them.

Save demonization for actual demons.
— Seth Haines (@sethhaines) July 25, 2020

We live in a world full of vitriol, hate, propaganda, and vitriol. As we lean into the upcoming election, it’ll only get worse. Let mercy and peace-making be your rubric as you chase the One Thing in politics this year. See if it doesn’t change your relationships. See if it doesn’t bring something like unity.

Yes, I’m moving on from this series, but if you’d like to drop me an email about this series, feel free to click this link.