A 2001 Gallup survey reported that 25% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans believed that crime had gone up in their neighborhood over the last year. 20 years later, in 2022, those numbers have shot up to 42% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans reporting they are more fearful of crime.

Anxiety is a normal reality of life. Young people wrestle with it and so do the elderly. Women can be oppressed by vexing thoughts and so do men who might struggle to admit it. 

The middle class has to battle it, the poor are berated by worry, and even the wealthy are fearful. Anxiety is not bound to particular ethnic groups or periods of world history.

Anxiety is born of the reality that we possess little power to control the world around us. 

How can we dismantle the distrust of this emerging tribalism? We are on the crazy cycle of distrust and defense. Your tribe attacks mine, we answer tit-for-tat. Your tribe becomes more defensive and even violent, mine reciprocates.

Jesus said, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:28, NIV).