The Sigh
Sighhhhh.
I wish I were not the person posting into what might be my own personal-pan-pizza-sized echo chamber about politics and other subjects that we are making ourselves sick with. If you must know, I do frequently receive thoughtful and challenging feedback. So, this is not entirely an echo chamber. Thank God for that.
The closer we get to November 5th, the more I feel about this election. I am a Native Texan. Outside of my husband and kids, my family is staunchly conservative. One of my kids leans in that direction. (P.S. What the heck?) I do appreciate the diversity of thought. We need it, even when we disagree. Diversity sharpens us and enriches the world. I am an independent voter and appreciate that there are people who vote differently than I do.
But dang. I cannot get behind DT, and I am feeling more and more…hurt…by people who can. There is no shortage of “stuff” out there outlining his deficits. I will not write more about those. There are TONS of people who write about the issues. I will not write more about that.
But I don’t get it this time. I have asked the conservative people in my life why they support this guy. I have learned that some support him to protect the value of their investments. Some support him because they are concerned about the soaring costs of health care, groceries, and gas. Others support DT because they think he will be more responsible with taxpayer dollars. The big ones are borders and abortion. The Bolivian man I spoke to in the movie theatre here in Bolivia told me he could not support Harris, who continues to support Israel. There are many reasons a person might support DT. It would be futile to argue about these reasons because most of them are valid and important.
THAT is the point.
We live in a world that is SO complex. NOTHING and NO ONE is 100% right or 100% wrong. Even Christianity is complex. The “Greatest Commandment” is to love God, self, and others. What is love? Does love equate to good feelings? Is justice the same as love? How do we know for sure? There are so many expressions of Christianity because we answer these questions differently. This proves that it would be futile to use the “shared” values and Scripture of the Christian faith to make a case for “rightness” or “wrongness.”
We live in a world of gray nuance. Certainty does not exist. Not even in our faith. This uncomfortable reality is 100% true, and I believe that our growth as humans depends on our acceptance of it.
Acceptance of uncertainty enables us to admit that ALL nations, ALL political parties, ALL politicians, and ALL people of ALL ages are capable of both good and evil, right and wrong. We ALL participate in both. We can release our grip on the “right” or “wrong” side because there is no right or wrong side. Both sides are complicated, uncertain, and gray. We can see the good (and bad) on both sides, on every side.
One might think that I’m about to say that…there is no right candidate, and there is no wrong candidate. I probably would have said that before 2016.
BUT.
BUT.
BUT.
This election is different because I fear that our freedom and democracy are at stake. I believe that this election year, we can set aside our political preferences. None of these issues will matter anymore if we lose our democracy.
Voting is an opportunity to consider the greater good. My expression of Christianity requires me to vote based on what does the most good for the most people, even when it requires sacrifice. As I release my grip on what “I deserve,” I know I’ll be okay. I want to use my vote as an act of hospitality and love for our nation. To vote is to care for the people. We show our care by voting for the most genuine, honest, and ethical candidate while acknowledging that neither candidate is entirely genuine, honest, or ethical (none of us are).
One of my teachers taught me a common expression in Spanish. “El sol sale para todos.” ←- The sun rises for all. I feel that captures all of this. Someone else pointed out how much this expression aligns with Matthew 5:45: “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” Thank God for that. We’re all covered. Certainty is not required.
So…that’s my echo for today. My last day here in Bolivia is Friday, and it has been awesome. I overheard Adela’s cousin say that I might become a “Cochabambina” ←woman from Cochabamba, Bolivia. I love it here, but I am ready to get back to my family and friends. And I’m thinking my brain is finished. I might be regressing in my Spanish skills. I think that’s a sign.
I bought myself this necklace today. It is the shape of Bolivia.
I also bought this Charango (a double-stringed Bolivian instrument) and am teaching myself to play on YouTube. Let’s see if I continue when I get back to real life. Hope so.
P.S. Sorry for typos.