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OWN VOICE. From Eric DeBode and the Abundant Grace Team. Step Up for the Homeless 5k Coastal Fun Run/Walk on Poplar Coastal Trail, Saturday, March 7th, 2026. Donate.
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“When I recently read the quote by Rumi, “God’s religion is love,” I felt the profound simplicity of that statement. In a single moment, layers of theology, doctrine, and endless interpretations seemed to simply fall away.
At its core, almost every world religion shares this highest value: to love others, to regard our neighbors as we do ourselves, and to practice the Golden Rule. At Abundant Grace, this isn’t just an abstract philosophy; it is the daily heartbeat of our work with our unhoused neighbors.
Yet, we know that as a society, we often have a hard time loving those who seem different from us. Nowadays, more than ever, having conversations about important issues of the day seems like a medieval battle! How did we get to a place where discussing our deepest values—how to organize our society, how to share resources, and how to lift up compassion—feels like stepping into a minefield?
The Illusion of Division
It’s quite simple, really, and it’s the oldest trick in the book: demonize your opponent. Whether it’s media empires profiting off outrage or political figures flirting with inflammatory and violent rhetoric, creating negative caricatures of one another ensures we never have a serious conversation. We see this daily in how society stigmatizes and demonizes the homeless, immigrants and others, reducing deeply human struggles into rude and unsophisticated political talking points.
There is an old story, often attributed to Tolstoy, about how Satan reacted after Jesus rose from the dead, saving humanity. Sulking and defeated, Satan had a brilliant idea. He traveled to the early Christian communities and simply whispered to prominent members that they were following the teachings of Jesus better than the other communities. A spirit of judgment and competition took root. Divisions, schisms, and wars followed. History was made not of the love and peace intended by those teachings, but of fracture, division and violence.
Fast forward to today, and we can hardly have a conversation where people on both sides can constructively identify a problem together, much less solve it. But few things are as important as solving this crisis of communication—especially when lives are on the line.
The Courage to Communicate
Only 40 years ago, philosopher Jurgen Habermas wrote “The Theory of Communicative Action,” intending to lay the groundwork for a reasonable, effective way of communication in a modern democratic society. We do well to recall that he is building on the ultimate goal of the Enlightenment which was to elevate rationality—to prioritize our ability to discuss and make reason-based arguments so we can agree on the best course of action. This same spirit led to the foundational documents of the United State, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, a bold attempt to set our course on reason for the betterment of all citizens.
Habermas reminds us that solving society’s issues is a joint project, it should be collaborative and not the combative model we see on cable television. Yet, while the traditions of the world agree on loving one another, the spirit of division keeps us from joining together in the common cause for justice, the well-being of the poor, quality education, and housing for everyone.
Greed, Service, and the Common Good
A fundamental crisis is brewing as the massive wealth of a fewer number of the elite grows. We are witnessing business practices designed to enrich the powerful at the expense of workers and everyday citizens at a scale never seen in history. When those same interests rig the political game in their favor, they cease to be public servants; they represent only themselves. Basically, we have foolishly given far too much power to the Trump/Epstein/Musk/Bezos/Zuckerberg class. We have been duped into thinking that because they are wealthy, they must be wise, good at business, good at politics, and so on. But, they are essentially selfish, power hungry, abusive jerks who don’t care much about anyone beyond their limited view of themselves and their class. Why do we fall for that?
I believe the remedy to this hunger for power is to view service as the primary value of all good citizens. The void that people try to fill with greed and power is actually a hunger for meaning, purpose, acceptance and self-worth. That hole can only be filled by the practice of love in action—by sharing and sacrificing for others. Electing modest, compassionate leaders who understand that the sacred purpose of politics is to promote the common good is the path forward. Maybe now, more people realize that scapegoating politicians as a class is a bit short-sighted. There are many benefits to electing people who understand the art of state craft.
Choosing the Beloved Community
This division that dominates our era is superficial, artificial, and calculated. We know this because unity is possible, community is essential, love is foundational.
When we watch the news and see division erupting—whether it is all the political punditry on the systemic violence from agencies like ICE, or the struggles for justice in places like Minnesota or Chicago—we must remember that oneness precedes division, and wholeness precedes fracturing. We must counter with love, just as we have seen inspiring, resilient communities do. We know from Dr. King that love wins, and the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice.
The Beloved Community is who we truly are. If we want inclusion, we must be inclusive. If we want reasonable solutions to the many crisis of our day, we must be reasonable. Let your true, whole self emerge without the fears and insecurities that limit us. Take the risk of loving your neighbor. It’s so obvious to me now: when we serve the higher power of love, our needs are met, we have nothing to fear, and we will always have enough.”
In service and solidarity,
Eric and the Abundant Grace Team
It’s Time for our Annual 5K Run/Walk! REGISTER!
Join us on March 7th and help raise funds for our programming and also to fix our leaky roof!
We had a rough winter, like many, and found a leak up there… Thank you!
Author: mdrag
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