Happy?! New President Day
Happy New President Day! Or not so happy, for some of us.
I caught my reflection and noticed I was wearing an appropriate shirt for today. It has three words printed boldly across the front:
INHALE
EXHALE
LOVE
Yup. Breathe in…breathe out…love.
Like him or loathe him, President Donald Trump is now in the oval office, and we have to figure out how to work together as a country under his leadership. Like any leader, he may or may not always look out for your personal interests, but like with any leader, that doesn’t change the fact that you
1) still have a voice
and
2) still have the responsibility to cooperate where you can.
And remember, our democracy is open to any citizen. If you can’t stand the way things are, run for office yourself! If this election shows nothing else, it proves that ANYONE can be President.
But onto that last word: Love.
I’m a Christian, and while my religion often gets a bad rap, I think it’s pretty amazing when we really look at it.
Jesus was big into love. When asked which of God’s laws was the most important, he had a twofold answer — to love God and love others. He said that God’s entire message is founded on those two (Matthew 22:37-40).
What’s crazy is that he didn’t tell his followers to love only good, kind, likable people. He challenges us to love our enemies, the people that abuse us and harass us. To pray for them. To serve them even! (Romans 12:20)
I believe that this kind of radical love is disarming. It’s irresistible.
I believe it works because at our core, many of us are terrified of being found out for who we really are. Of being judged and rejected.
But if we start and end with love, fear has no place. Safety enters. Cooperation enters. Peace enters.
Maybe I’m idealistic, but that’s where I’m settling today.
As the great Martin Luther King, Jr., said:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Will you join me? ♥
Photo Credit: Ben White, https://unsplash.com/@benwhitephotography