Nov. 4, 2020: By a Thread

As I write, the outcome of the 2020 election is still uncertain, but it does not look good for Democrats, which includes most UUs. How shall we respond if the country turns itself over to be governed for four more years by someone we consider at best reprehensible and at worst diabolical?

First, we give ourselves time to grieve. For the days ahead, there will be shock, denial, and lots of anger and rage. Accept that. Let it flow through you and don’t rationalize it. Even if Trump doesn’t win, we are seeing an endorsement of policies and cruelties we could never have imagined our fellow citizens would condone. Now, we know for sure. We know that people have seen all of this and still voted for it. It’s shocking and horrifying.

Please indulge in some self-care. Talk to loved ones. If you don’t think you need that, they may. Bathe, eat something wonderful, bake, walk outdoors, sleep, watch a movie, read a book that takes you to a distant place and time.

Remember you are loved.

And remember: you have made the wise decision to be part of a thinking, compassionate, community who have gathered, week after week, to face reality, to face life and death as they truly are, to face them together, and to do our part to preserve the world and its people.

I find that my fear this morning is most centered upon my friends, colleagues, and loved ones who will be most affected if this madness continues: Pansy, who waits for her husband, deported to Mexico, to be able to return, and whose fellow members of the local Black community have been hit hard by Covid; my Buddhist teacher Caitriona, a transwoman and all of the trans people whose very existence is at stake; my son and so many others who rely upon health care subsidized by the ACA and who would likely not be here today had they not had it; … you know the list. And I know your fears and compassion are for others as well. Here, close to home, and throughout the world, whose suffering will go unmet due to this administration’s cruelty.

And our deep sadness and grief come not just for us, but for those we know, and those we shall never meet, those yet unborn, who will suffer because of the selfishness and foolishness or the simple lack of clarity of half of this country.

We will get through this together. And, whatever happens, we will need one another more than ever.

It feels as if we are hanging by a thread, but indeed, the entire Universe has been in great peril for far longer than we’d like to acknowledge. The sooner we can come to terms with that, the sooner we can face the imminence of our own dying as well as the dying of life as we know it, the actions we can take in these moments become crystal clear. I believe my job is to companion you and challenge you that we may face these realities together. The thread can be a thread of connection, love, and humanity with which we connect our hearts and minds to serve and protect.

As they say in 12 Step programs, where people hang by a thread day by day, keep coming back. We can do this. Never never ever give up.

See you Sunday,

Cynthia