We are in a harsh dualistic age. It has sharp edges. Ideologies are in combat and the stakes are this: “It has to be exactly like this or not at all.”

This particular piece shows that tension.

Nicholas Kristof has been writing about the issues of our culture for awhile. He has also done outstanding work on the Sudan and other locations in Africa where there is massive injustice. His work is admirable.

And one-sided.

Which is why this piece is so good as I read it. Kristof wants to come at issues from only a systemic angel. The system is broken. Capitalism is bad. And his friend that he writes about refuses to keep it in that lane.

Yes, systems are failing. Yes, capitalism has huge blindspots. Every system has blindspots.

The overall goal of Kristof’s writing currently is what he states:

A nation cannot thrive when so many have been left behind.

But it’s not just systems. We can rage against capitalism, or fear socialism. It’s true that we need to acknowledge weak points and fix them rather than just say, “MY SYSTEM IS BETTER!!!”

His friend Bill wouldn’t let Kristof blame just the system. Bill knew even though his life situation was truly stacked he had personal responsibility as well. Bill did horrible things and paid the price.

And Bill changed.

When he got out of prison, he met an old friend, they fell in love, and she changed his life. He became loving. His new wife disapproved of drugs, so he backed off drug use. He started a cab service to winery country.

How does change happen?

If it is systems alone, we’re in for major disappointments. We can also get too myopic and think systemic change in our culture will solve so many ills. We forget there are people living in many more horrendous situations all over the world, and yet there is change happening in people’s lives along the way.

I am not being dualistic, either. I DO believe systems need changing. I don’t believe they need tossing out all the time. We’re in a “burn it all down” mode right now from both extremes and it boggles the mind that these folks are ignoring history in a major way.

I absolutely believe we keep pushing at needed changes.

But we can push at systemic changes so hard we forget what can really be powerfully effective as well: caring.

We can rage and fight and push and raise the minimum wage to $25/hour and trash capitalism and become a benevolent dictatorial socialist state… and still not know our neighbor.

Bill changed because he met someone who cared about him.

We are losing sight of each other in this nation. Yes, Kristof’s premise is right: we can’t thrive if we leave so many people behind. But we’re not just leaving people behind in wages and healthcare.

We’re leaving people behind by not checking in on our neighbors. We’re leaving people behind because they voted for the wrong candidate. We’re leaving people behind in our circles because they don’t agree with our particular view of sexuality.

We are not caring. We care about people we love to care about. Jesus says, “SO WHAT” to all of that! The bigger thing, the Kingdom thing, is to care for those you don’t want to care about.

OH! That we would trash one thing: our dualistic mindsets! If there is one thing I want to burn down, it’s that.

Let us find ways to care about people we would just rather ignore. Let us find ways to listen to people who are hurt by a system that works for us and determine that maybe some fixes are in order.

Let us care.