After a weekend of hate-fueled violence and death, our brothers and sisters in Charlottesville are taking stock and trying to recover. We all would be wise to do the same.

This crisis cannot and should not be viewed as an isolated event. It must be taken at face value for what it is. Our wonderful country with all its hopes and dreams is shifting from the United States to the Divided States of America. Our national identity of E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One – is at risk. And none of us is immune from the consequences.

The nation has reached a tipping point. We must decide which side of history we are on – and what we are going to do to ensure our country does not become ruled by hate, fear and division.  Because make no mistake. White supremacists were emboldened by the horrible events in Charlottesville. The New York Times reports that the movement’s leaders are declaring it a “moral victory.” They are promising more marches.

Our response to this threat cannot be to duck our heads and pray it will pass us by. Instead, we must be hopeful – and prepare ourselves to be our best selves. I know that’s hard right now. As an African American religious leader, I acknowledge that Charlottesville hurts – personally and collectively. Our community is disillusioned. We have witnessed a disturbing pattern that appears to be eroding the operose efforts of racial reconciliation in our country. But many others are hurting as well. The Jewish and Muslim communities. Other minority communities. And all people of faith and goodwill, no matter their race, color or creed. If we all retreat to our separate corners to shake our heads in silence, our despair will amount to complacency. The neo-fascist agenda will prevail.

The only constructive answer is to replace mass disillusionment with hope, and to act out of hope. There are more of us than there are of them, a message we can send loud and clear if we speak with love and respect. Though we are hurting and angry, this is not the time to incite more violence. This is a time for us to be intentional about engaging in the tough conversations regarding the reality of race and bigotry in America. We must be willing to talk about our history and our segregated past, and to confront the remaining vestiges of that legacy – not with vitriol and finger-pointing but with openness and honesty and a deep, collective desire to do better.

Let’s begin today to be the kind of country where torches and pitchforks will be overwhelmed by a unifying force that does not require weapons. Pastors, rabbis and imams we must bring our congregations together and we must speak out; now is not the time for those who have vocally expressed their political views in the past to have prophetic laryngitis. Educators, consider teaching your students that they are living history at this moment; explain what that requires of them. Community organizers, reach out to your colleagues in another neighborhood that doesn’t look like your own; join forces. Politicians, let go of identity politics; represent all people in this country, whether they support you or not.

Let’s do this together, all of us. Let’s make time today to take stock and to envision an even better country– before more violence and hatred further forces our hand.

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