The power to make America great again may be starting conversations with people of all ethnic backgrouunds

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love 1 John 4:7

Transformative Circle group: Yesterday after work I attended the transformative circle group held at the City of Coon Rapids. This group was started not long after a young woman of the Muslim faith out with her nieces was assaulted inside the local Applebee's by a stranger who hit her with a bottle because she didn't like her faith. It was a hate crime.  I have come to recognize hate crimes as a young boy living in St. Louis Park watching Jewish children being bullied by gentiles because of what they believed.

I was appalled by the ignorance of this person or anyone who thinks they have a right to smash another person in the face with a beer bottle because they didn't like their ethnicity or faith. This stranger who assaulted her showed no remorse, even at her sentencing. 

This group started shortly thereafter and continues to grow with the purpose of bringing people pf all cultures together so that 'we all can learn to walk in another's shoes.'

Last night, for example, I met an African-American man, multi-talented I might add, who recently retired from his bus driving job with the Metro transit commission. He debunked a myth that has been going around regarding what people refer to as the most dangerous bus routes. He had none of the problems the media portrayed on any of those routes.

When asked what he thought was the reason for his success, he said if you treat people with respect and you show empathy to them they will cooperate. This same man has the vision to help young men to discover a love for the trades.

When I look at our President's desire to build a wall along the southern border I believe it symbolizes man's condition. Today, you see many men and woman building walls around their heart trying to protect themselves from harm. For example, people would rather text than call someone on the phone.

You go into any subdivision across America and what do you see? You see miles of yards surrounded with fences which may help you define your yard, but also keeps people out.

Just think if all across America we had transformative circle groups to bring people of all ethnicities together for conversation and bridge building what it might do for the betterment of making America great again?

Toward the end of the evening, everyone gathered in a circle as a microphone was passed with people invited to share the one thing they learned from their conversation. I shared how we need to learn to walk in another's shoes, getting to know people regardless of their skin color, their ethnicity, or their faith.

The key to making America Great again is creating a nationwide effort to begin conversations that will bring down the symbolic wall that exists in all of us.

I do believe that this is exactly what our Savior Jesus desires us to do in this life to share God's love to everyone regardless of their ethnicity or their faith.