There has been a lot of harsh and extreme rhetoric. People
on both sides of the political spectrum have painted the consequences of this
election in apocalyptic terms of good versus evil, freedom versus tyranny. I
admit to my share of political bombast.
I do not know what will happen as a consequence of the
election results. Some have predicted violence or civil war. There will likely
be accusations that the voting results are fraudulent. Perhaps the Supreme
Court will get involved. It has happened before.
I am not a prophet. I do not know what will happen. Except I
know that someone will lose and someone will win. My candidate
may win or he may not. Either way it will be alright. I know that is not the
conventional wisdom. People seem to think that it will be a disaster if the
other guy wins. It won’t. Let me tell you why I believe this.
First I believe in God. I believe that God will work things
out for good, even if I cannot see that now. Second, I believe in America. I
believe in our democratic system of government, the integrity of local election
officials, and the collective wisdom of the American people.
Third, I believe that I might be wrong in my choice of
candidate. It is hard for me to imagine this at the moment. The choice seems so
clear, and I am so certain I am right! But then I step out of myself and
realize that I could be wrong. It is wonderfully freeing to admit one’s
fallibility. Everyone should try it!
A little humility (and I admit to having very little) goes a
long way when it comes to accepting the results of an election. I might be
mistaken in my assessment of the situation. Recently I have been reading a lot
about disinformation and misinformation in the media – especially social media.
I have been learning about confirmation bias and the lure of
fake news. We tend to hear only those facts that agree with what we already
believe. I know I am as vulnerable as anyone to deception. So are you. Remember
the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”
No matter who wins the White House or any other race, we
need to rally behind our country and its democratic process. Our republic and
its freedoms are more important than any candidate or party or president. This
is especially important to keep in mind when we feel the country is heading in
the wrong direction. For all its faults it remains a great country. Justice
will prevail in the long run. Do not fear.
If your candidate wins, be gracious in victory. Go ahead and
celebrate. I will! (I hope.) But after the confetti has been swept up, imagine
what it is like to be a supporter of the candidate who lost. These are our
fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters (literally in a lot of cases.) They
will be mourning and worrying about the future of our country. Have compassion.
Empathize with them.
No matter who wins the presidential election, we all win if democracy wins. Free and fair elections with a peaceful transfer of power are the real prizes. Let us all make sure this happens, no matter whose candidate wins.
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