America the Beautiful is not beyond saving. Despite our divisions, our disagreements, despite the challenges facing our country, I still believe in America.
I believe in the Declaration of Independence. I believe in our Constitution. I believe in our Founding Fathers vision of a nation built on self-governance, liberty, and the protection of individual rights. Most importantly, I believe in our sovereign God who has guided our nation through every struggle before and remains faithful today.
Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. It means dialogue. It means debate. It means we can vote differently and still have dinner together. It means we can hold different opinions and still respect those who hold them. Our goal is not agreement, it is respect. America needs strong families, strong communities, better education, respect for history, accountability in government, appreciation for freedom, veterans and law enforcement. We need care for veterans, safe and secure borders, and most importantly, responsible citizenship.
My generation has been told that America is hopeless. I reject that entirely. We inherit a country full of mistakes and imperfections, but we cannot spend our lives trapped and persevere on them. Our responsibilities are what we will choose to do next. We are responsible for the future of a country and we can either stay in the endless, divisive cycle we are in, or we can break it and unify. We need foundational leadership based on love of country and faith. We need to remember that service to our nation is the most honorable way to remember those who died in America’s fight for freedom, and the preservation of it. And whether that service means fighting in combat or protecting and serving our Constitution, or joining the trades that built our country, or raising the children who will inherit it, it matters. We need to remember that civic engagement is necessary for an improved and evolving America, that our society is shaped by such engagement and the values instilled. Character cannot be limited to a voting record or support of a candidate, but rather the realization that every single American citizen is one deserving of respect because the Creator that made the Grand Canyon and paints every sunset, also created each and every one of us. And most importantly, having undeniable faith and trust in Him.
We live in a nation that is more plugged in than ever, yet more divided than ever. Politics. Social media. Race. Sex. Class. Even churches sometimes divide us. Everywhere we look, there are voices telling us who to hate, who to blame, and who we should be afraid of. But division was never God’s design. Before the government, there was family. Before political parties, there was patriotism. Before there were countries, there was humanity as a whole created in the image of God. Satan knows many people have forgotten that a united people is difficult to defeat. That is why his greatest weapon has never been strength. It has been division.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” Jesus explains that a house doesn’t have to be attacked from the outside to fall. Sometimes it collapses from the inside. The same goes for families, for churches, for nations. Satan understands that if he can convince us to hate on another, we will destroy ourselves without him lifting a finger. He tells us, “You're right, they’re wrong.” “You’re the good one, they’re evil.” “Don’t listen. Don’t forgive.” And people listen to that and before long, neighbors become enemies. The enemy celebrates every time we choose hatred over grace.
And to remind you how profound unity is, the night before Jesus was crucified He prayed, “That they may all be one, just as You, Father are in Me, and I in You.” (John 17:21). With the cross only hours away, instead of praying for protection, prosperity, for saving, for power, Jesus prayed for unity. Because unity is one of the strongest testimonies to the world that God is real. Because unity in Christ doesn’t mean we all have to agree or be the same. But unity in Christ means that we all have a foundational understanding that our Father in Heaven is the Only way. That we all follow the same moral law written in Scripture. Unity means that we all agree that Christ is greater than our disagreements.
A reason that unity is so difficult to achieve is because pride comes naturally. We all want to be right, to win the argument, to have the last word. Yet, humility is the bridge to unity. The understanding that someone has and is entitled to a completely different opinion than you because their own life experiences have led them to those conclusions. Pride demands. Humility listens. Pride will divide. Humility will unite. And as I stated in the previous chapter, unity will not happen in Washington, it will begin when ordinary people choose humility and grace over hostility.
History proves that when people stand as one, incredible things happen. Communities rebuild after disasters. Churches care for the hurting. Countries overcome impossible challenges. Unity doesn’t erase our differences, it gives our differences a common purpose. The body of Christ has many parts but one mission. Likewise, a country can have many perspectives, but it succeeds when its people remember they share and will pass on a common future. And as our culture asks us to pick sides, Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow Him. When culture says, fight, Jesus says love. When culture says cancel, the Bible says “forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Culture says divide, yet Jesus prays for unity. A future cannot be built by citizens who hate each other. It can only be built by people willing to stand together despite our pride and opinions.
Imagine what could happen if churches united. If communities unite. Imagine what can happen if Americans remembered that we are neighbors before we are opponents. The answer to our division will never be found in a single candidate, nor one party. It will not be found in a government program or in social media. We will find unity when our hearts are surrendered to God and we choose unity over division.
America is not perfect. No country is. We acknowledge the sins and mistakes we have made, then we learn from them and make sure we never let them happen again. Yet, we still choose to love our country. Patriotism is not pretending America is flawless. Patriotism is loving America enough to help it become better. The men who designed the Declaration of Independence were not perfect. Yet they believed something remarkable: that free people can govern themselves. Now, 250 years later, that belief belongs with us.
America’s story is still being written. One day, our grandchildren will inherit the country we leave behind. They will learn the values we defended, the policies we implemented, and the divisions that we either healed or deepened. They will not remember every election, headline, or argument, however, they will live with the consequences of them. Our freedoms are not just passed on, they’re fought for. I pray my children will inherit a country that was fought hard to defend. I hope they live in prosperity, love, sovereignty and unity. I pray you all want the same. And if there’s one thing you all take from this book, I hope it is this: Freedom is not America’s inheritance, it is America’s responsibility.
UNITY 2028 is not meant to be a campaign slogan, a movement, or promise attached to elections. It is meant to be a challenge. A challenge to choose unity over division, responsibility over entitlement, and ultimately, faith over fear.
The future of America does not belong to a political party, a president, or a movement. It belongs to the American people. The choice for us is simple. We can continue down a path of division, resentment, bitterness and hostility. Or, we can choose unity, responsibility, grace and hope. I know what I choose. I choose hope. I choose Jesus. I choose the United States of America. What will you choose?
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
-Ephesians 4:3
Leave a Reply