In September 2023, Jonathan Merritt described how he and his father remain close, despite their theological and political differences. The pair have discovered “that the people who will cry at your funeral matter,” he said, “and the critics in your social media feeds do not.”
Although he and his father may disagree in private, Jonathan said, “We can still fight for each other in public. And most of all, we have learned that loving across difference is messy and difficult, but in this case, it’s worth it.” If more people loved one another despite their differences, he added, “Our coarse-edged world might become a gentler, kinder, more hospitable place for all of us.”
