I haven't written in this blog for a year but last night's US election results, and the sleepless night that followed, have drawn me to writing as a form of therapy (or resistance).
I've tried to seek to understand the results, and probably more accurately, the motivation of people to vote as they did. I am at a loss in this effort to understand. I guess what I do know is that I don't know nor do I understand. Maybe that's a start.
But what has really given me some angst is trying to sort out my own thinking in how I respond on a person-by-person, individual level to people with whom I disagree (and, of whom I don't understand).
In the Christian faith, a person asks Jesus who is their neighbour (Luke 10). Jesus responds by telling a story. In that story, he flips the narrative so that the neighbour is someone who we might never imagine. It's someone that we might not get along with, someone we don't understand. It's also someone who is in need. And for/with/to whom I am confronted with whether I take action to help.
Some people refer to this as the Golden Rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. More recently, I have heard people reference the Platinum Rule which emphasizes seeking to understand other peoples' preferences, what they want and not what I might want, and taking action accordingly.
In a way, the idea of being a neighour is very much aligned with the idea of "glocal." Being a neighbour isn't just about the person who physically lives near to me. It's recognizing that being a neighbour is about recognizing need, seeking to understand how to respond to that need, and taking appropriate action. No matter who it involves. Or where.
This morning, I've been thinking of my neighbours who are fighting a war in Ukraine, who are undocumented workers in the US, and who are girls and women who think the presidential glass ceiling will never be smashed. My heart aches for them in the wake of the results of the election. But what has really bothered me is recognizing that my neighbours are also the people who voted for a person whom I have no respect for, someone who I find intolerable. Some of these neighbours are quiet, well educated, and probably lovely people who would help me in a heartbeat. Others of whom are racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. And I recognize that most of us are all of the above. They/we are all neighbours, for better or worse.
This morning, I don't know what action to take. I've sent some notes to people I care about. I've taken the dog for a walk. That's about it. Before I act, I need to continue to seek to understand. I have a feeling it's going to be a long process.