(Perhaps like you, I’ve been startled by the results of the recent national elections. After trying to parse what may have happened, I realized that it could be more helpful to think about what might lie ahead. That frame of mind could be more hopeful/courageous and thus more motivating. What follows are my ruminations about how I might purposefully approach a future that right now looks ominous.)
Tone down the noise. Piling words around my feelings of dismay probably adds to the psychic noise that’s crowding out any other patterns of thought. Besides seeking quiet where I can find it, I can also guard against being a noise-maker.
Admit vulnerability. In ways I may not yet know or understand, the perhaps-harmful effects of this election will eventually flow into my life. “Safety” may become an illusion. The same with “escaping.”
Revisit and reclaim what’s truly important. I’ve spent many years learning and practicing the spiritually purposed values that I inherited. I would be a poor steward of that gift if I spent my final years of life in an emotional tizzy about what’s ultimately not essential to the will of God.
Read the book of Job again. Its several themes connect to what’s happening inside me. Job’s situation reminds me about the spiritual food that I need, the wisdom I’m looking for, the hope that comes from acknowledging God’s pre-eminence.
Look for and care about those who need protection. When I discover those who consider themselves to be endangered by this new government’s priorities, I may have to take further steps to shield others from possible harm. Right now, I don’t know what that might mean.
If resisting, do it well. This isn’t anything I plan to undertake. But if resistance to this government’s efforts becomes necessary, I want to be effective in measurable, lasting ways.
Seed joy, kindness, grace, forgiveness, wisdom, honesty. Each of these attributes will be necessary for God’s redemption of society. Even if I don’t live long enough to see my efforts bear fruit, I can sow these seeds so that others down-the-line can find solace and encouragement in living Christ-like lives.
Stay connected and disconnected. Retreating into a dark cave of isolation will harm my spirit, mind and body. I want to keep strong those relationships and activities that equip me to battle against evil and injustice. At the same time, I may need to sever those relationships, practices or habits that weaken my resolve or diminish my clarity of purpose.
Engage in conversations. Social change begins with respectful, admiring and honest conversations, so I will try to increase my listening skills and my abilities to ask helpful questions. I will continue to describe clearly what I believe to be godly wisdom.
Ratchet up self-care. I may need to increase my physical, psychological and spiritual well-being in matters of nutrition, rest and exercise. Self-care enables other-care.
Be ready for self-sacrifice. It seems likely that the upcoming state of the world will require me to sacrifice some of my own well-being in order for the greater good to happen. This will be difficult—who among us is practiced in self-giving lifestyles?
Find a “middle way”. Choosing from among strongly opposite polarities isn’t always an effective approach for decision-making. Summoning the creative spirit that’s always lived inside my soul, I want to discover positions and patterns that lie outside of either-or thinking.
Strengthen this congregation. Where I live—DuPage County, Illinois—is presently an oasis of civility and common purpose. Inside this haven is Faith Lutheran Church, Glen Ellyn—a place where the people of God are equipped to live in ways that bless the world around us. I can help that work occur by volunteering in roles that keep this congregation lively and strong.
Remember the principles of tai chi. This ancient martial art rests on this simple philosophy: Yield or ward off before striking—guiding or allowing an opponent’s force to pass by, and only then seizing precise opportunities to eliminate that person’s ability to harm others. Applying those principles to my non-combative encounters with angry, hateful people, laws or lifestyles, I can weaken their abilities to harm others.
Take the long view. Like it or not, what has been visited on the world because of the recent election will not easily dissipate. It seems likely that the darkness of oppression and tyranny will continue for the rest of my life. My comfort will be simple: This, too, will pass. And it will pass because I have elected to despise evil and seek justice. To live as Jesus commanded.
And you? What are you prepared to undertake in order to bring about a future national identity that accepts God’s will as paramount and the greater good as an ultimate outcome? Your list of self-challenges may differ from mine, but once it’s assembled in your soul, you’ll be ready to be one of God’s instruments for redemption and rescue.
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