Essay by one of our April 21st Purple State of Mind guests. Read the whole kickin’ piece HERE.

I embarked on the Purple State project because I need a voice of dissent in my life. The doubts of John Marks make me a better believer. He keeps me honest, keeps me questioning, keeps from getting comfortable. Can we continue to make room for the loyal opposition, even when it causes complications?

I join John Marks in a call for more than a new found cooperation. We don’t expect people to abandon their principles, to set aside significant differences. But the gravity of our current crisis surely forces us to subsume our agendas for the sake of the greater good. There will be plenty of time to argue after we’ve gotten out of this mess. Until then, I desperately need to come alongside those who want to forge a future for America. We can no longer afford to be entertained by surface distances or ideological divides. It is time to be adults–to work with skeptical neighbors, faithful friends, and disbelieving college roommates.