The year is 2016. And it’s been a really tough one. For a stretch of several months, I thought I was alone in having a hard year – my most difficult, to be honest, of all 24 that I’ve lived – but it has become glaringly obvious I am hardly alone. Rather, I’m in the majority.
Donald Trump has just been elected President, to be inaugurated on January 20th. I’m not going to dive into my personal beliefs or try to back my opinion, because I believe the last thing anyone wants to read is another politically-opinionated blog post, we are all too exhausted to hear another online rant or rave about either party’s recently victorious or failed candidate, and I would be offending someone I love either way. I have friends and family who are elated and hopeful and expectant; I have friends and family who are absolutely devastated and terrified and shocked. And, really, it wouldn’t be fair for me to try and break down what any one of them is feeling because I have only lived this one life and I cannot pretend to grasp the full experiences of another and to make a judgment on their feelings right now. Their struggles have been different from mine so, in all honesty – what I feel right now is happy for my loved ones who are excited and saddened for my loved ones who feel hopeless.
And, it doesn’t matter where my feelings lie. It doesn’t matter how I voted nor does it matter where my opinions sit on the political spectrum because we have a new President Elect, just like we do every four (or eight) years, and just like we’ve had since the inception of this nation, whether we like it or not.I haven’t written anything at all in regards to the campaign or the election because I am have been afraid that I might be misinterpreted as being unintelligent, uninformed, or wrong from the viewpoint of someone with opposing perspectives. I’m not even so sure about this post because I fear I am coming across as too politically correct, not having taken a side. I don’t know that attempting to identify with both sides is harmful or helpful, but I do know one thing for certain: there are so many people that are confused and hurting and scared right now. Campaign included or not, its been a tough year. It was tough before the election results were announced, and it will continue to be tough regardless of the winner. It will be tough with Trump and it would have been tough with Hillary, because there are so many challenges greatly embedded into our nation that are not derived from our leader but instead are rooted in the actions and opinions of the masses. The question is not, “how do I feel?” but instead, it’s “what do I do now?” And, further, “what do we do now?”, especially in the midst of a chaotic array of emotions and responses from all of the unique individuals that make up this country and our lives.
What we do now is honor each other. That’s it. We honor the people that voted for our chosen candidates and the people that voted for the opposing candidates. We honor the President and we honor the President Elect whether we agree with them or not. We honor the clerk at Safeway wearing a Trump pin and the woman at the bus stop in a “Nasty Woman” t-shirt. We honor the people that do not care to understand our views and we honor the people that chose to not vote at all.
I don’t know what the next four years will look like. I can barely make out an outline of tomorrow. But, it’s going to be a lot tougher for all of us if we choose to continue to dishonor each other. If we do not honor each other as Americans and as children of the one who calls us to honor all others, the man or woman sitting in the Oval Office doesn’t matter.
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10.
And, “Love does no wrong to your neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10.
If we are not fulfilling our call to honor all others regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, voting habits, party affiliation, or even the way they are acting toward us, the President is not going to do any good no matter who they are. It’s really up to us, and that is a huge responsibility; it’s fulfilling of the law of God. We are citizens of America and, yes, that means we are obliged to civic duty. But, as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we have a grand civic responsibility. It’s a greater responsibility than even voting (which, we know – is a big one).
The Renovation Project 