Tuesday’s election results are now in. Our country remains as divided as ever and yet the margin of victory for the winner is wider than many people expected. CJ asked me on Tuesday afternoon who I thought would win, and I honestly couldn’t answer her, but I entertained a hunch that Kamala would prevail as I thought Hilary Clinton would in 2016. As the night rolled on, it was evident that Donald Trump would become our next president and regain the White House after losing to Joe Biden four years ago.
Once again it was proved to me that I’m a terrible predictor of political outcomes and it’s a good thing I didn’t try to make politics my life’s work.
It seems almost banal to point this out, but I suspect that our church community reflects the wider electorate in our nation at this time. I don’t know if we lean more conservative than progressive or what the ratio might be. But I do know that we remain a “purple” congregation – neither blue nor red.
I have a hunch, as well, that many of the folks in our congregation are pleased with the results – perhaps overjoyed. And on the other hand, I know that maybe an equal number of people are disappointed, even dismayed at the results. After all, the church is one of the few places left in America where people who are not related to one another nevertheless come together voluntarily for a common purpose – to worship and serve the Lord - and one’s neighbor. Yet, because we come together for this purpose, we may differ in many other respects – socially, economically, and politically.
Dorsey Henderson, my bishop in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina when I served there, stressed the importance of keeping “the main thing the main thing” which, for us, is proclaiming and celebrating the good news of God’s grace and life-changing love for all.
In light of this, I offer a few reflections on the day after the election -
In the title of this piece, you will notice that I spelled out the date in a formal way, emphasizing “the Year of our Lord.” This was done intentionally, because it is always good to remind ourselves that God holds all things in the palm of his hand. We may not understand the inscrutable workings of God in every and all situations, but we can and should put our faith and trust in the truth of God’s sovereignty, especially when things don’t turn out as hoped or expected.
It may be easier for the winning side to extend an olive branch to the losing side in this election, but it may be harder for those who lost to except it or receive it as genuine - such is the nature of our body politic today.
It is also important, I feel, for the winners to remember that, for the losers, there will be a certain rawness in how they are processing the outcome. This rawness may or may not abate in the coming months. It might even increase with the actions of the new administration.
Maintaining trust (or rebuilding trust) is also a potential issue in our relationships. We could retreat into the silos of our own making, or we could decide, regardless of our political perspective, that we will endeavor to maintain some measure of relationship with people who see things differently.
It is also the case that for some people, disassociation with others is the way that they will handle the outcome. It may be that it is a temporary safety measure to disassociate, or it may become something more permanent. I encourage us all to be at least a little introspective - to examine ourselves, and to weigh the costs of permanently withdrawing from others. If this is you – and it might feel like a huge ask right now! - it might be important for you to withdraw for a season and try to regain your bearings. But weigh the cost of making this a permanent thing. There will be costs of disassociating entirely with your neighbors, family, friends – including church friends.
This would apply to people on both sides of this election. If your side won the election and you are satisfied with the political outcome, ask what it would be like if the shoe were on the other foot.
I don’t wish to sound “preachy” with these reflections but offer them instead out of a pastoral concern for all the communicates here at Saint Gabriel the Archangel – for those who rejoice and those who weep.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Chris