Is ‘Do Unto Others’ the way to bridge the political divide? : Consider This from NPR

Pastor Chris Morgan leads a service at Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park, Pa., on the Sunday after Election Day.

Justin Merriman for NPR

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Justin Merriman for NPR

Pastor Chris Morgan leads a service at Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park, Pa., on the Sunday after Election Day.

Justin Merriman for NPR

On a Sunday in mid-July, Pastor Chris Morgan welcomed worshipers to Christ United Methodist Church in suburban Pittsburgh with a simple message.

That Sunday was particularly difficult.

A day earlier, a man had nearly assassinated then-candidate Donald Trump forty miles north in Butler. Morgan asked people to pray for Trump and those killed and injured in the shooting, and asked the congregation to pray for the family of the shooter.

Morgan had already planned a sermon series, called Do Unto Others, to deal with the nation’s — and his congregation’s — political divisions ahead of Election Day.

NPR’s Frank Langfitt went to Christ Church the weekend before Election Day – and the weekend after – to see if the efforts there made a difference.

As Americans prepare to come together at Thanksgiving, how do we bridge this country’s political divide? And can we?

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