It’s been a challenging season for the United States.

Political unrest, upsurge in racial violence, and random attacks have caused fear and anger all across the land.   People distrusting one another,  speaking poorly of one another, and vicious verbage on Twitter and other social media.  Fear abounds.

Yesterday, waiting in a long line at the Post Office, I had a chance to listen to the numerous conversations around me.  People were irritable, frustrated, critical, and even unkind. I was sad to “hear’ the anger in their voices. Anxiousness and fear abounds.

My dear friend and writer Alisa Nicuad puts it this way in her blog

“3 Ways to Overcome Fear”:

Disaster. Shootings. Deadly diseases.

Every day in the news we hear of lurking threats that could have the potential to strike fear in our hearts. We fear for our country, ourselves and our children. The path our world is headed leaves us vulnerable to anxiety and fear. It’s not just my opinion. It’s a fact.

The National Center for Health Statistics released a report in 2011 stating that 1 in 10 Americans age 12 and older are taking some sort of antidepressant. This is an increase of 400% in a 10 year period (1988-2008). It is now the 3rd most prescribed medication in our country.

Why do I mention that?

Because it’s clear we are having a hard time dealing with the world we live in. Our minds have difficulty dealing with all the tragedy and instabilities. So what can we do?

How, then, should we respond?

There is something called “righteous anger” that fuels us to take a stand for things that matter, to stand for what it good and right.  However, rage and anger only causes dissention, reaction, offenses, and the inability to reason or work together. Fear is often at the core of anger.

What if we chose kindness?

What if we chose to understand? What if we chose proactive behaviour? What if we linked arms to find a way to work together?  What if this was the churches finest hour?  What if we chose grace rather than anger?  What if?……..

If Christ is our example we can see that He “drew” people to Him.  He showed such restraint and grace while believing that troubled people, finding Him, could and would experience peace and real change!  Can we also believe that as we show grace and kindness that other’s might see that same spirit in us during this time of turmoil?

How, then, shall we respond?

Ask yourself. I am asking myself too.