Whom shall we love….

 

Norman Rockwell, 1961

Pray for our country....

Norman Rockwell, in 1961, offered us a vision of humanity’s shared dignity: men, women, and children of every nation, faith, and complexion gathered under the golden words of the Gospel’s Golden Rule. That canvas spoke not just of America, but of God’s dream for humanity: that we might look into each other’s eyes and see not threat or stranger, but brother and sister. It was painted during the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, and the uneasy dawn of global consciousness. It was aspirational—a reminder of who we might be, not who we were.

If the Creator—by whatever name invoked in our different traditions—were to look upon America today, I believe He/She would see a people both blessed beyond measure and broken by their own choices:

• Blessed, because we still carry extraordinary freedom, creativity, resources, and the ability to speak, gather, and worship. These are gifts entrusted to us, not earned by us.

• Broken, because division, anger, suspicion, and greed have crept into our common life. Many see neighbors not as fellow children of God, but as enemies. Our politics often reward outrage more than compassion. We live in an age of abundance, yet millions go hungry or are crushed under debt. The Creator must surely weep that after so many years, we still struggle with racism, violence, and indifference.

The eyes of the painting—serious, compassionate, longing—ask us whether we have grown closer to the dream Rockwell imagined, or drifted further.

Can we be humble enough to ask for help?

Humility is the only path back. We must admit:

• We cannot fix this by clever policies alone.

• We cannot heal by shouting louder than the other side.

• We cannot find peace until we are willing to kneel—each in our own way of prayer, silence, or surrender—and confess that we have fallen short.

Humility is not weakness. It is the courage to say: 

We need help. We need grace. 

We need wisdom greater than our own.

We stand again before Rockwell’s vision, sixty-four years later. The world is watching whether we can live into the words: 

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

This is not sentiment—it is the Creator’s law written in every faith tradition: in Torah, in the words of Jesus, in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the wisdom of the Buddha, in the counsel of the Bhagavad Gita.

Let us begin with small steps:

• See the humanity of the neighbor with whom you disagree
• Choose kindness when cruelty is easier
• Teach children not just to succeed, but to serve
• Pray—not only for your family—but for the stranger

If enough of us do this, then perhaps in another sixty-four years, a new artist might paint not just the dream, but the reality of a nation—and a world—that finally took the Golden Rule seriously.