“The only way we will love our neighbor as ourselves is by getting to know our neighbors, even in the midst of our differences. And the only way to truly know someone is by being with them.”
-Eric Overby
Today is Tuesday, November 10 which means we are exactly 7 days past the 2020 elections. Many are foretelling the highest voter turn-out since 1908. Even in the midst of a pandemic, our fellow Americans have turned out in full force to make their voices heard.
Leading up to the election, we heard terms like “civil war” and “coup” tossed around like so many hot potatoes. Emotions were running hot and civil discourse seemed a long forgotten, quaint idea.
Even now, tensions remain high as President Trump has filed at least 7 lawsuits in battleground states since Election Day and uncertainty abounds.
We are reminded once again that none of us hold the control that we would like to.
One thing we can control? Finding the goodness in our small corner of the world.
It’s impossibly easy to find the suspicious, the crazy making, the headline that makes you bang your head against the wall – once again.
It’s easy to doomscroll.
It’s easy to see labels and make generic blanket assumptions about entire people groups.
What’s not so easy? Intentionally looking for goodness in places you don’t really understand or are uncomfortable.
- That neighbor with the other candidate’s sign in their front yard? Did you notice the cheery, prolific garden they kept all summer behind that sign?
- The loud uncle who wastes no opportunity to voice his political views every Thanksgiving? Can you hear his deep and abiding love for his country under the fearful words?
- The spouse that cast a different vote from you? Can you hear the heartbeat of their fierce protection for your family and the world they are navigating?
- The transgender colleague you haven’t really gotten to know. With all the pronoun confusion, was it easy to miss how unfailingly kind they are to your mutual co-workers?
- Even your teenager, bless it. Under all that moodiness, do you catch glimpses of the strong, courageous, wise and fully functioning human emerging?
When we look for the good, we will find it.
Our little corner of the world can be as rich as we make it. The richness of authentic community.
This is not a Pollyanna world. This is not toxic positivity (to which I fully admit a full blown allergy). There are hard things in front of us. There are challenges that seem insurmountable at times. Let’s be honest about that.
But these mountains are better scaled together. When we dig deeper and discover the goodness in our neighbors, we get stronger together. We can see the mountain better. We have different views of the obstacles in our path and together we see a better path emerge.
No matter who you voted for, choose to see the goodness today.