Back when this nation rightly celebrated not an amorphous Presidents Day but instead feted the individual birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the holidays gave us something to emulate rather than just an excuse not to work. In that spirit, we look to Lincoln today for wisdom.

Indeed, Lincoln is a particularly appropriate model in these times of national discord. While of course we don’t face a civil war, we did experience an assault on our Capitol just last month, followed by a divisive impeachment trial this month. And while Lincoln presided over the Civil War, his goal was to maintain, not divide, the union. Before and during the war, and especially as it was ending, he consistently urged not just unity, but understanding and forgiveness.