I must remind myself that if doing good was easy, I wouldn’t grow weary. For such a time as this, God has put us on the planet. He knew exactly where and when you and I were going to be born. And maybe he saw us as worthy enough to help bring the Kingdom to earth right here, right now. Perhaps we are uniquely created to be in the room with the elephants we find now. Elephants will always be in the room.

We’re supposed to talk to them. We’re supposed to talk about them. We’re supposed to show these elephants the truth. This doesn’t make the elephants go away. They are ever present, but it helps us learn to live with them. If we must live together, let’s learn how. We both can learn things along the way. Knowing what we know, how can we speak to the elephants in the room?

First, we must commit to reason, logic, civil debate, and free and open inquiry in the pursuit of truth. We must advocate for freedom of speech, association, and religion. For everyone, not just certain groups. Not “inclusion” that eliminates debate and free speech. We must be gracious and civil. We must give other people the benefit of the doubt. It’s time for keyboard warriors to retire. We must believe the best in others. We want justice, so we must work together for it.

Second, we must be tolerant and civil. We must have respect and compassion for those who do not share our worldview. Not “diversity” that doesn’t allow us to disagree. One of our mantras should be “quick to listen, slow to speak.” We must seek to learn and understand first. Don’t listen to respond; rather, listen to listen. Ask for God’s help to respond to an opponent with love, compassion, and kindness. Don’t give up on discussions just because someone else does. We cannot control how people will respond, but we should never be the person to break a relationship. Practice unity, honor, and reconciliation when there has been division.

Third, we must pursue a more equal society. We must ensure that everyone has opportunities to maximize their potential and no one is prevented from them. Not “equity” of outcomes. We must create as many opportunities as possible for people to become their best. But we also must establish standards of performance. Competency matters. So does education. Society only gets better when we raise the bar. And the only way to raise the bar is to celebrate those to exceed the standard. We should reward those who take great pains to maximize their opportunities and exceed established standards. We can pray that people will turn from false beliefs into God’s truth. Our responsibility is to trust in God more than we trust in our own arguments or ideas. We also must be active in politics and society. We must engage the problems we face with biblical solutions. That’s the reason the Church exists.

Fourth, the most equal and just societies are built on Judeo-Christian ethics. We must not forsake biblical values and traditions within our civilization. Christ-followers must be active and involved in their nation’s direction. Run for local office, help to set policies. Start a company guided by biblical values. Those of us who are ambassadors for the Kingdom should take our place to shape the society we live in. We should build countries that are reflective of the values we claim to hold. We must stand for biblical truth, principles, and definitions. And we must do so openly and publicly, not just in our churches or small groups.

Fifth, we must place primary importance on how each person’s individual choices affect everyone. This includes the importance of moral choice, character, and responsibility. We must assess people according to their character, not according to what groups they belong to.

Finally, we must speak the truth in love.

Love requires both grace and truth. Grace gets us saved, but truth sets us free. We must affirm God’s truth, not the subjective truth of the culture in which we live. But we must also affirm this truth in a graceful way.

These ideologies and worldviews can make the world seem complex and overwhelming. I love what Theodore Roosevelt said: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Resolve to do your best in your personal world, with your family. That’s all any of us can do. Roosevelt left off one sentiment that I like to add:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” and let God worry about the rest.