I knew that this blog would be a challenge to write even before November 8. In every election there is a winner and a loser. And I would like to think that no matter who won, it wouldn’t change how I wrote this article. I must confess this is not the blog post that I was thinking that I would be writing today.
Just about everyone thought that Clinton would win. She had even planned a fireworks display (which the Coast Guard nixed – good thing) to celebrate her victory. To prove my point, I share a quote from a publication generated by the financial institution that handles our kids’ college funds. Clearly for it to have been delivered in early November, it had to be printed in late October with the articles written by mid-October. It read, “Following the Nov 8 election…responding favorably to the balance of a Democratic president and Republican congress.” Wow.
As I sat bleary-eyed in the wee morning hours of November 9 with my entire family glued to the television, I heard a stunned Chuck Todd of “Meet the Press” say, “We just got it wrong. We all just got it wrong.” And I wish I knew who said this: “Donald Trump heard a voice that no one else heard.”
And then the scripture from All Saints’ Sunday, November 6 started to speak to me.
Luke 6:27-31 (excerpted, emphasis my own…) 27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.”1
“To you that listen” And that is what I set out to do. Shut up and listen. For me, that means reading articles by colleagues that are leaders in the field and write with integrity and respect. And asking about colleagues, parishioners, friends, family.
What I heard was, “What do we tell the children?” “My daughter cried.” And from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network facebook page, multiple postings from youth workers describing in painful detail what their young people experienced in school on November 9.
I share the post of Cathryn Hewitt, St. Phillip Lutheran Church of Raleigh, NC, here: School was a battleground. A Trump supporter was scared to go to school for fear of being attacked and hated, this is a good kid! A young lady got on the bus and some boys starting laughing at her and telling her they guessed they didn’t have to respect women anymore. An American born, dark haired, olive skinned young man was approached and told that since he was clearly Mexican that he best start packing and get out of here. A young white boy was repeatedly told that he is what’s wrong with America, “obviously” being a Trump supporter. He is 15 and never said a word about politics at school. A young lady spent a good deal of her day comforting gay and lesbian friends who were being aggressively approached and told that they won’t ever be getting married now, deal with it! One young lady has a friend who is black and muslim, and this person did not even speak yesterday. Other comments that were shared included being told that, “ha, we got you and now you just have to get over it,” “our family is going to move out of the US,” “my muslim friend was told to pack her bags.”2
My heart broke for these kids. My heart just broke. And I grieve for the loss of innocence and safety that I believe that we all want for our children, regardless of how we voted.
I realized the prophetic in the words from Sunday’s sermon, “be the embodiment of God’s love to a hurting world.”
And Jesus tells us how to do it in Luke.
The blessings and woes in this passage in Luke call on us to stand in solidarity, not with the wealthy, but with the least, the last, the lost, the lonely and the left-behind.
We are called to speak up, just as Jesus spoke up for those around him. That’s why he was surrounded by all those people that day on the plain, which is the setting for Luke 6. People came to listen and to hear a word of hope and to feel loved.
And he tells us how to embody the God’s love in this world: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you… Give to everyone who begs from you…” Interestingly enough, the imperatives used don’t completely reflect the Greek from which they are translated, in that we are to do and keep on doing – not a one-and-done- but a continuous action, don’t stop.
Just don’t stop. And say something. Martin Luther King, Jr did. Ghandi did. Silence is dangerous. When we are silent we send the message that what is going on around us is OK and we know that it’s not. Bigotry, racism, sexism, xenophobia, white-privilege, intimidation, misogyny, it’s all NOT ok.
And that’s one thing that I plan to do – speak up and be silent no more. That’s going to take a whole lot of courage from me. I don’t like to ruffle feathers but when something’s not OK, I’m going to say so. I will start right here by saying that while I understand the anger on the part of those who do not want to accept Trump as president, protesting, defacing public property, and intimidation are not appropriate. Period.
An after-election poll by Channel 4 revealed in this area that 42% are scared, 27% are concerned, 16% are optimistic and 15% are excited about the outcome. Understand that this is a time of deep grief for many. And I don’t believe that if the winner and loser exchanged places the grief would have been any less.
The passage from Luke 6 ended with the Golden Rule. So as you come to church this coming Sunday, and I hope that you do, be kind to those who are feeling this grief. No triumphant jeers. And no blaming Trump supporters, either.
A colleague reminded his students about what happened the day after the crucifixion, when the women went to the tomb and “did something that we need to do. They showed up.” The faithful showed up.
That’s what we are called to do as well. Show up. Be faithful.
I sent both of my college young adults out of the door on Wednesday with these words, “God is still King, Jesus is still Lord and the Holy Spirit has got our backs.” I am amending this to “The Holy Spirit is blowing us in new directions.”
The Holy Spirit is reminding us that we are to be God’s hands and feet in this world. The Holy Spirit is reminding us that God is in control and we, as well as ANY president of any nation, are not.
Finally, borrowing from John Wesley’s General Rules (he’s the 18th century reformer and the founder of the Methodists) “Do no harm, do good, stay in love with God.” Stay in love with God.
I share this prayer with you from Brian McLaren, a 21st century theologian, pastor and author that he shared on his facebook page yesterday:
Lord, please make us instruments of Your transforming love.
Where hostile voices yell in fearful anger, help us sing loud songs of courageous friendship.
Where people trapped in bigotry send out their shrill dogwhistles of fear, let us form a resounding multi-faith choir of generous inclusion.
Where bulldozers of greed roar in to plunder all that is green and alive, Empower us overcome their noise with our hymn of praise for this beautiful earth.
Where cynicism echoes in the broken hearts of struggling idealists, Let us crescendo with a new song of resilient hope.
O, Holy One, may we seek less to silence our opponents and more to teach them to love your music and join the choir.
Oh God of all beauty, may we be instruments of your transforming love, and may your holy melody rise in us again, more sweet, loud, and strong than ever before, starting now. Amen.
We will all be OK, no matter who we voted for, we will be OK.
Show up, stay faithful, stay in love with God, who is still king, Jesus who is still Lord and the Holy Spirit, who has our backs, and is doing a new thing, blowing us in new directions. We will be OK.
Blessings on your week and peace be with you!
Pastor Heidi
1New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.