Two Different Worlds

I watched the vice presidential debate the other night, as many of you probably did, and there's so much that could be said about it (At least it was better than the Presidential debate, though the need for stronger moderation remains). But there's one thing that, even though I have seen it over and over again in every area of our current climate, I find the most fascinating.

After the debate was over, news outlets and social media began their commentaries, and as you might expect, the reactions were completely polarized. People who lean left insisted that Senator Harris was the clear winner, and people who lean right insisted that Vice President Pence was the clear winner.

The reasons for who "won" were nearly identical- our person spoke to the issues with clarity/leadership/truth, while their person avoided questions/lied/violated their time limits/etc.

What's fascinating is how people- not just media outlets- tend to see what they want to see. If we've already made up our minds about who we support, we automatically see it just as our chosen sources and pundits see it. And it's (apparently) with all sincerity that we each believe we see it accurately while the other side is completely duped. 

Richard Rohr has often said, "People tend not to see things as they are, but as they are."

This is not news, but America is two different worlds, with different facts, different truths, different rules, and different ideologies. We are in sore need of leadership that can celebrate our diversity, AND bring us together and unite us under a compelling vision that transcends the current divides. It's getting kind of scary.