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Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address was a painful demonstration of our country’s toxic divide. The President refused to shake the Speaker’s hand, and the Speaker tore up the President’s speech in a very visible display of anger. I must admit that my own tribe, the United Methodist Church, has failed to demonstrate a better way, as we are heading for a painful separation. Our behavior at last February’s special General Conference ended with police cars surrounding the building and police barricading doors.

Is it any wonder, according to Pew Research, that the numbers of nones (no religious affiliation) has grown from 15 percent in 2007 to 26 percent today? The percentage of nones is significantly higher among younger generations.

So how are we as Jesus followers called to demonstrate an alternative way? I spent a year writing Revolutionary Kingdom: Following the Rebel Jesus, to be used in small group studies with the accompanying DVD and Study Guide. Four of the top young pastors from around the country, Matt Miofsky, Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups and Lisa Yebuah, spent two days in my home discussing these very issues for the DVD. Here is a brief three-minute discussion around this question, how do we represent Christ in the face of division?

Mike Slaughter, pastor emeritus and global church ambassador for Ginghamsburg Church, served for nearly four decades as the lead pastor and chief dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike is also the founder and chief strategist of Passionate Churches, LLC, which specializes in developing pastors, church staff and church lay leaders through coaching, training, consulting and facilitation services. Mike’s call to “afflict the comfortable” challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. Mike’s latest book Revolutionary Kingdom: following the Rebel Jesus is available on Amazon and Cokesbury.