A House Divided Cannot Stand

A House Divided Cannot Stand Is an art quilt discussion about how divisiveness is at a fever pitch in our nation today! One part of the country is at extreme odds with another. Urban and rural views clash. Political parties and governmental bodies seem never to agree or compromise. Races and ethnicities are at odds. People across the socio-economic spectrum live very disparate kinds of lives. What will happen if more understanding and cooperation are not forthcoming soon???

 In an effort to make the piece have elements not usually used in a quilt – the houses have zippers which split the houses. Another friend made the comment that since there are zippers in the split houses, it is possible to zip them back up…a very good thought.

Today as we sit here in the United States wondering what will happen next with our country and the relationship with other countries, I must admit feeling very sad. It is my hope that we can zip the house up by learning how to listen to each other, forgive each other, and work with each other so that each side of an issue feels heard and validated.

With AI now more prevalent in our lives now, I have this quote: “”A house divided cannot stand” means that internal conflict, disunity, and disagreement within a group, organization, or nation will ultimately weaken and destroy it. The phrase originates from the Bible (Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25) but was famously used by Abraham Lincoln in his 1858 “House Divided” speech, which addressed the issue of slavery in the United States and foretold the upcoming Civil War. “  

The houses and faces are set against a background of UN-united states. I drew them from a map but they are not put together the way they are currently created – they are jumbled, rather like they are presently. Not a lot of Union, and definitely not a lot of kind union.