Alert

On Saturday, former President Trump survived an assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally -- but the threat of violence is not over.

Thankfully, the former president was not more seriously injured, as the bullet only grazed the upper part of his right ear. Had he been struck just an inch to the right, President Trump would not be with us today. In a Truth Social post following the incident, he stated that "God alone" prevented the "unthinkable."

Tragically, one rally-goer now identified as Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, lost his life defending his wife and children from the shooter and two others were critically injured.

Events like this show just how volatile society has become. Fiery political discourse, fueled by social media and a 24/7 news cycle, has finally boiled over with deadly consequences.

We're incredibly thankful that God protected President Trump, and we're praying for the individuals and families impacted by this tragic event.

Violence like this is unacceptable, but if something doesn't change, we can expect more of it. As the culture moves further away from valuing human life and Jesus' call to love our neighbors, this attempt on the former president's life, the attack on my friend Majority Whip Steve Scalise back in 2017, and even the shooting at FRC in 2012, will become more common place.

Now more than ever, we need to come before God and pray that our nation would unite around truth, that we would see a revival of biblical faith, and a restoration of civility in our culture, including our political discourse. With the Republican National Convention this week, we should also be praying for the safety of all those who will be attending.

But prayer shouldn't be our only course of action; we must also reach out across the political and ideological aisle and, in good faith, engage in respectful dialogue with others. We cannot compromise on truth, but that shouldn't prevent us from having conversations.

It seems that our rhetoric has reached a level where we no longer have conversations with people we disagree with. In moments like these, we ought to say, "time out."

Let's take a moment to turn off social media and cable news networks and ask the Lord about conversations we can have with those we disagree with.

Our nation desperately needs healing, not greater division. We cannot wait for our political leaders to bring this nation together -- we must do it. As the Lord shows you someone, invite them to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a conversation. This is a time to come together as a nation. Unfortunately, those kinds of conversations are incredibly rare in America today, even to the point of such relationships making the news.

Last year, the New York Times published an article highlighting the friendship I have with Anurima Bhargava.

We met in 2018, when we were both appointed to serve on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. She had previously worked in President Obama's Department of Justice and was appointed to the Commission by Nancy Pelosi.

Despite our obvious ideological differences, we found common ground and formed a bond of mutual respect.

The New York Times described our relationship as potentially "the strangest friendship in Washington." In an increasingly polarized world, they might be right, and that's a sad reflection on the state of our political landscape.

What friendships like these demonstrate is that, even despite the deep divides that we see across the political spectrum, we can still engage in respectful dialogue with one another. We're all people made in the image of God. We must treat each other as such, both through our words and our actions.

As Christians, we are called by God to live this out in our daily lives. It's because of our obedience to scripture that we treat others with respect -- even those we disagree with. That does not mean we compromise on our stand for truth, just the opposite. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, "...in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

This is a crisis moment. Events like this could become the catalyst for even greater division -- but they also provide us the chance to bridge the divide.

If we as a nation miss this opportunity, we will become more calloused and continue further down this path of division. We cannot let that happen.

But John, if we take this opportunity, we can change the nation one conversation at a time.

At Family Research Council, we're calling on Christians across the country to pray for our nation. We cannot continue with our nation so polarized and our rhetoric at a continual fever pitch.

Our goal is to gather thousands of signatures from like-minded believers willing to come before God and pray for unity around truth, for healing to prevail in our nation, and for meaningful conversations across the cultural and political aisle.

Scripture tells us that "where two or three are gathered in [Jesus's] name, there [He is] among them" (Matt. 18:20). We can know that when we all stand united in prayer, our Lord hears us.

In volatile times such as these, it is more important than ever that faithful Christians come before God in prayer. Our political discourse as a nation has become too divisive, and as a result there is more talking about one another than talking to each other.

Therefore, I, the undersigned, commit to praying that our nation would unite around truth, that we would see a revival of biblical faith, and a restoration of civility in our public discourse. I pray that our leaders would recognize that we are all Americans, that we all are made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore, everyone has inherent value.

I pledge to respectfully engage with and pray for those on the other side of the political aisle and meet with them to discuss political and cultural issues in a respectful way. Our political landscape has become increasingly hostile, and I pledge to do my part by making sure my social media posts are God-honoring. I will also seek to respectfully engage with those with whom I disagree, treating them as fellow image-bearers of God.