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“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise, think about these things.” – Philippians 4:8
Most religions and philosophies support some version of the call to “count our blessings.” This doesn't mean ignoring the bad, it just means you should choose to regularly focus on the things you love and appreciate. This not only helps us feel more joy and gratitude, but also reminds and guides us to strive to build a future more full of these good things. It is a practice that reminds us that the world is what we make it.
Anchorage must do this now. The mayoral election has ended, but the national election has not yet begun. Here, temporarily removed from the cacophony of partisan sniping, Anchorage can take a brief moment to reflect. By getting rid of vandalized campaign signs, we can together wipe out the virulent dehumanization of the “other” that poisons social media and trolls politicized pulpits. We have a unique opportunity to find common goals and work towards them together. It is an opportunity to consider the blessings we share and the things we hold dear together as honorable, just, and praiseworthy. An opportunity to heal our hearts.
Where we focus our thoughts inevitably becomes our destination. The more we think about lunch, the hungrier we become, the more we think about getting rich, the greedier we become, and the more we think of politics as war, the better off we are for the future. You will want to fight more than the goal of building your own. I wish. As we count our blessings, we remind ourselves and each other to look beyond the battle to the bright horizon beyond. By doing so, we often find that the people we were fighting with yesterday are heading in the same direction, and maybe we can take a few steps in that direction alongside us.
“Anchorage isn't the real Alaska,” goes the clichéd, overused metaphor. “But from there, you can see the real Alaska.” This and other devastating posts are a sign of the election of those who give up counting blessings in favor of calling out the problems. Later scattered on social media. Those of us who love Anchorage get the joke. Just like any other city, we have our problems and people like to hit big targets with lazy jokes.
But rather than fighting back, we respond by counting our blessings and inviting them to share their blessings. We invite them to concerts and airports, we take care of them in hospitals and at home. We look to the horizon beyond the fight and welcome them to work with us to build a better future. That's what real Alaskans do.
The Rev. Matthew Schultz is a pastor in Anchorage and a member of the Christians for Equality steering committee.
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