Conflict is a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one. Reconciliation is the restoration of friendly relations. Conflict reconciliation is when we can walk hand in hand without seeing eye to eye. It is when we can agree to disagree in a peaceful, friendly manner. It’s when conflict can be labeled as healthy because it serves the greater good. It’s only possible when we are unified in identity and purpose.
As a member of Generation X, I remember learning in K-12 public schools that America was considered the melting pot of the world. The melting pot metaphor suggests that the diverse cultural differences in the United States blend together, much like metals being melted down to form a stronger alloy. Unlike Canada and some other countries that embrace multiculturalism, the United States encourages different cultures to assimilate into a unified national identity. This philosophy has been foundational to the development of American culture. As immigrants arrived from all over the world, they brought elements of their own cultures with them. Over time, their music, food, fashion, religion, and more gradually became integral parts of America’s culture. This is what it means to be unified in an American identity. I identify as an American even though my ethnicity is a blend of the Middle East and Europe.
Another fundamental belief that ties us to a uniquely American purpose is the idea that we are “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (Declaration of Independence). Unalienable rights are those that cannot be sold, given away, or taken by the government.
In essence, being American means believing that we were created by God, to know Him, and to have a relationship with Him. Additionally, there are certain rights granted to us by Him that cannot be taken away by our government. The government is merely a steward and protector of these rights. To be American means deriving our identity from the Ultimate Identity.
To be American also means that conflict is inevitable, however, because our identity is forever linked to the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God we should respond to that conflict as though we are ambassadors for God. When something we have done is the source of the turmoil, we should apologize. If others are at fault, we should forgive.
Let me speak to you personally. If you seek the true source of your identity, understand this: Your life isn’t about you. It’s about the One from whom you derive your identity.
Only God truly knows your identity because He created you with a purpose. You are not defined by what others say about you. Your true self isn’t the persona you adopt to counter their opinions.
You are who God created you to be, and you can only truly succeed in the purpose He designed for you. By embracing your identity from Him, you won’t need to worry about others’ opinions or judgments.
If we align our personal and American identities with the Ultimate Identity, we can walk together in unity, even if we don’t always agree. This way, we can truly return to being the world’s melting pot and serve as ambassadors for God, embodying our motto, E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, one.”
MindWolves 