This post was orginally published in the November 6th, 2020 edition of the Christ Church E-Crier.
From the Rector: Is it time to celebrate or to mourn?
As we reflect on the election results, I wonder whether it is time to celebrate or to mourn.
Amidst the threats of the COVID 19 pandemic, and domestic and global terrorism, we must humbly accept that our nation is badly divided. It is one thing to say that the results were very close, but another thing to say we are one nation. The coding of states red, blue, and purple seems to hide the growing divide between “us” and “them.” In the privacy of our hearts, this divide is accompanied by dehumanizing statements about those who don’t vote like we do.
The polls suggested that Biden would win in a landslide, the Trump campaign also suggested it would win overwhelmingly. But as the results started coming in, our divisions became visible. The closeness of the results made many people wonder where the votes for both candidates were coming from. They came from us–we are the ones who cast those votes. We may boast of the number of votes cast, but the fact that both candidates evenly energized their voters to turnout speaks volumes.
The assumption is that to be one, we must share the same values? I don’t want to ignore the validity of this assumption. It is, however, time for soul searching. Why are we so divided? What can we do to become one again? Or is it that we have never been one?
Telling by the margins, it is possible to ignore the fact that we must start working on becoming one. This work cannot be done by one person or party but by all of us. We must allow ourselves to see the humanity of each other. We must ensure that our disagreements don’t rob us of our common humanity. Whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we are all children of God and citizens of our beloved nation.
I am not sure whether to celebrate or to cry. Is this the America I would love to leave for my children? How can we say, “E Pluribus Unum ” (Out of many, one)? As Christians, we must realize that we have brothers and sisters on the other side of the political divide.
I won’t stop you from celebrating the victory if your candidate wins–it is within your rights to do so. However, I want to remind you that your celebration should be planted in humility. There are no winners or losers–we are all children of God and fellow Americans! I pray we can learn to see each other as brothers and sisters again.
To do this, we must go back to work. It is hard work, but together we can unite our beloved nation. As one America, we will fight the growing COVID 19 pandemic, violence, and terrorism, which know no party affiliation.
I leave you with Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
I pray we can learn to see each other as brothers and sisters again.
–Please join us for in-person worship at 10am. The service will be streamed on our YouTube Channel too.
–Worship Committee Meeting is Friday, 13, 2020 at 7pm.
-Rev. Kapya Kaoma