What I Shared on Election Eve …
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For today …
None of us knows what this day will hold. To prepare ourselves - I offer this musical meditation from Ana Levandoski to start your day with prayer ...
https://alanalevandoski.hearnow.com/mercy-now
https://www.alanalevandoski.com/sundaysongandrumination/a-song-to-pray-with-mercy-now
And then - this song of resilience and hope by Andy Gullahorn.
Thanks to all of you - for voting, for caring, for being a light of mercy in this important moment!
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Resources for Election Day … for your sanity and well-being
These last four years have been years of grief and loss for so many of us. That's why Alana Levandoski's rendering of Mercy Now seems so fitting ...
I'm so grateful for Alana and her voice and spirit. For more on Alana, see
https://alanalevandoski.hearnow.com/mercy-now
https://alanalevandoski.hearnow.com/mercy-now
In the midst of all the turmoil of Trump and his movement of bitterness and revenge, I have repeatedly found comfort in the music of Andy Gullahorn. Here is a song that I think is especially fitting today:
My friend Rob Lee, a descendant of Robert E. Lee, offers a 14 minute sermon especially for today:
Another dear friend and colleague, Diana Butler Bass, has been providing pastoral care for our nation these last four years (and before too). Here's her gift to us for today:
https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/a-better-america
I would like to share this paraphrase of the Beatitudes for today. Jesus taught ...
“Blessed are the poor and vulnerable, and those in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn for all lost to illness and violence, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the non-violent, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who are insatiably hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are those who choose to be merciful rather than vengeful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are those who choose to be pure in heart rather than deceitful and hypocritical, for they will see God.
“Blessed are those who choose to be spreaders of peace rather than spreaders of hate, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted, harassed, heckled, rejected, and mocked for standing for justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely for standing with Jesus, for standing for what he stood for. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Finally, I want to say thank you to all of you ...
Thank you to all who marched over these last four years, for all who peacefully protested and resisted the ugly and revelatory resurgence of racism, arrogance, and greed that have sprung up all over our country since 2016.
Thanks to all of your who rode buses, held rallies, organized get-out-the-vote initiatives, volunteered, called, tweeted, preached, prayed, and poured out your hearts to turn our nation and world away from hate, greed, and fear, and toward faith, hope, and love.
Thank you to all who wrote, posted, and went public ... letting others know that you stand for dignity, decency, and honesty rather than lies, propaganda, and mean-spiritedness.
Thanks to all who had difficult conversations in person or online, firmly but graciously differing, refusing to let misinformation, conspiracy theories, and regressive messages of fear and bigotry go unchallenged.
Thanks for all who didn't hit "send" on that reactive tweet or unverified Facebook post that would have added to the toxicity, and thanks to all who are better communicators today than they were in 2016, because you have learned from your mistakes and grown in skill, maturity, and wisdom through these challenging times.
Thanks to all who for the first time in your life took the bold step of endorsing a political candidate -- as a way of saying no to Trumpism and all it represents.
Thanks to Republicans who stood up to be counted as having convictions that they would not surrender to Trump's braggadocious bullying ... and who knew the kind of vicious attacks they would suffer for going public, and did so anyway.
Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for running, and for all who had the courage to run for office as part of the resistance in these difficult times -- whether for the presidency, for Congress, or for state and local elected office. Whether you win or lose today, you have won morally simply because you did your best to provide an alternative.
Thanks to all who voted already, or who are voting today, whose decisions are guided by the common good, expressing love for neighbor, self, the earth, and the God who loves all (no exceptions).
Thanks to all who know, whatever the results of this election, that we will still need to get up next week and next month and next year to keep seeking the common good and bending the moral arc of the universe toward justice, joy, and peace.
Thanks to all who voted for the planet. Our earth needs us as never before. She is groaning with a fever, and she is suffering from an infection caused by our ignorance, haste, and greed.
Thanks to all who voted for the poor and vulnerable, who used their democratic power not for self-interest alone, but also for the well-being of their neighbors.
Thanks to all who voted for peace, knowing that a nation full of hate, fear, and weapons is a world on a broad path to self-destruction, and knowing that real peace can only come through equal and fair justice for all.
Thanks to all who had the courage to doubt what misguided religious leaders told them, and who let their faith grow deeper and wider and richer as a result.
Thanks to all the whistleblowers who have come forward, and to those who will do so today and in the weeks to come, because you are heroes who deserve a ticker-tape parade.
Thanks to all who put the love of justice above the love of money and the love of party.
Thanks to all who woke up and are staying awake.
Thanks to all who are learning how to see.
I send out a pre-emptive thanks to those who still don't get it today, but might start waking up tomorrow or the next day or next week. Better late than never.
Thanks, once again, to all of you who are standing today for a better future and who embody the values of a new and better America and share a vision for a new and better world.
Win or lose, you have passed the test of these four years.
Thank you.
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For those About to Vote: Please, for the love of God (and neighbor) …
First, if you have already voted, or if you are going to vote on November 3, thank you. Thank you for using your hard-won right to vote and power of the ballot to steer the United States in the direction you feel it should go.
Here is my sincere and urgent request, as one of your neighbors and fellow citizens: please, for the love of God and neighbor, please do not vote for Donald Trump.
If you are already planning to vote for Biden/Harris or Charles/Wallace or another candidate, no need to read farther. But if you are leaning toward voting Donald Trump, and especially if you consider yourself a Christian, I speak as a former pastor and committed Christian myself, please reconsider for these three reasons.
First, for the love of God. If you love God, then you are supposed to love truth. Donald Trump lies and distorts the truth like no president in history.
Just take COVID-19. In private, as early as February 7, Trump said that COVID-19 was "deadly stuff," but in public on February 10, he said that it was "going to be fine" and would go away in April. On February 24 he said it was under control and on February 27 said in a few days we would be close to zero. On March 7, he said, "I'm not concerned at all," and on March 13, "I don't take responsibility at all." May 9, he was still saying it would go away, even without a vaccine. On June 17, it was "fading away." July 7, "we're in a good place." August 3, "It's under control." September 10 and 23, "we're rounding the corner." October 10 and 22, "we're rounding the corner." In March, he said he "liked to downplay it," but you understand what that means: he hasn't told us the truth about it.
This is not a man who listens to people who know more than he does. This is not a man who cares about reality. This is a man who will say anything you want to hear so he can sell you something and use you in some way. That is not the kind of leader you can trust with your nation's health or well-being.
Of course, I haven't even mentioned his thousand of other lies on other subjects, from crowd size to porn stars to taxes. Nor have I mentioned how constant distortion of the truth is a time-tested method of autocrats and demagogues. Hannah Arendt put it most powerfully in her analysis of the Nazi regime:
“In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true. ... Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow. The totalitarian mass leaders based their propaganda on the correct psychological assumption that, under such conditions, one could make people believe the most fantastic statements one day, and trust that if the next day they were given irrefutable proof of their falsehood, they would take refuge in cynicism; instead of deserting the leaders who had lied to them, they would protest that they had known all along that the statement was a lie and would admire the leaders for their superior tactical cleverness.”
If you have already decided to let Trump (and Fox News and other "alternative facts" media) do your thinking for you, then of course, you'll vote for Trump. But if you love the truth because of your love for God, you cannot support this man or his administration.
Second, if you love God, you should love your neighbor, whatever his or her race, religion, national origin. I speak as someone who marched with clergy in Charlottesville and who has been heckled and insulted by a large group of Proud Boys: Donald Trump courts white supremacists, because he is a white supremacist. Just consider what he has recently been saying about Ilhan Omar: "She's telling us how to run our country. How did you do where you came from? How is your country doing?" Never mind that Representative Omar is a U.S. citizen and a duly elected Congresswoman, and that as a Congresswoman, it is her job to play a role in running the country, because it is her country too! The pattern is crystal clear: Donald Trump doesn't see people of color as actual Americans, as his equals. So, if you love your neighbor, you simply can't support that.
Third, if you say, "Yes, I don't like these things, but I'm pro-life and so I support Trump because of abortion," please, do not be misled. If you are Catholic, it is not Catholic teaching that you must be a single issue voter. In fact, it is your moral duty to vote based on a thoughtful integration of issues. And if you are Evangelical, I hope you at least will consider my personal story, as a former pastor involved in the Pro-Life movement from the very beginning. It is irresponsible and dangerous to let yourself be manipulated by someone like Donald Trump and his religious allies over the issue of abortion.
The fact is, in this election, there are so many urgent matters on the ballot. Character. The climate. The growing consolidation of wealth and power among a tiny minority of the super-rich and super-powerful, leaving the rest of us farther and farther behind. Global alliances. Public schools. Fiscal responsibility. Equality for all races and religions. The safety and equality of LGBTQ persons. The planet, national parks, and wild spaces. Democracy itself, and impartial courts, and the Constitution, and the balance of powers.
That's why I'm enthusiastically voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. My first choice, early in the primary process, was Kamala Harris, and I was glad to see Joe Biden agree that she was an excellent candidate. My respect for Joe Biden has only grown as the campaign has continued. He is a good man, and he has what is best for the nation at heart. His whole life has been dedicated to public service, as has Kamala Harris's. They are both people of deep and sincere faith. They provide a stark contrast to Donald Trump, whose life has been devoted to pleasure, pride, power, privilege, and profit.
If you want to learn more about Trump, I highly recommend this book by Sarah Kendzior, Hiding in Plain Sight. And here's what you need to know between now and Election Day: Donald Trump is a dangerous candidate. He is dividing America. He tells people what they want to hear, not what is true or what they need to hear, so he can recruit them into his base. Please, don't let yourself be deceived. Please don't vote for Donald Trump, for the love of God, the love of your neighbor, and the love of our beloved country.
If this heartfelt plea makes sense to you, I hope you will share it with someone you know who is leaning toward rewarding Donald Trump with a vote that he simply doesn't deserve.
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The Rise of the Authoritarian Voter
By Brian D. McLaren
The United States, over most of our lifetimes, has had four primary electorates. These electorates cluster around four sets of values, each with its own priorities. But in recent years, we are witnessing the rise of a fifth electorate: the authoritarian voter.
I don't just write about authoritarian voters in the abstract: they are my neighbors, the people I meet in the grocery store, at the gas station, at the doctor's or dentist's office. I am an outspoken progressive currently living in Florida where I interact with members of this fifth electorate on a daily basis. Recently, I was part of a Vote Common Good rally that was disrupted by about 75 Proud Boys and their associates, requiring police intervention. Sadly, too many voters around the country are encountering similar intimidation as they head to the polls. It's time for everyone to better understand their own authoritarian voter neighbors.
Authoritarian voters value centralizing power in one individual, party, or network in order to defeat a real or concocted enemy. They divide society based on loyalty to the authoritarian leader or regime, and because winning is their ultimate value, they do whatever is necessary to win, including distorting or hiding the truth, breaking norms and rules, and suppressing dissent. Because winning is their prime directive, lying, cheating, colluding with foreign adversaries, and using violence and violent threats are not seen as moral failures, but rather, acceptable tactics.
All voters are values voters. The four traditional values voters have included Progressive voters who prioritize values like protecting the global environment from climate change, replacing race/gender/class prejudice and oppression with full racial and gender equality, developing a sustainable and regenerative economy as opposed to an extractive and exploitive one that leads to ecological overshoot, reversing the concentration of wealth and power by a group unaccountable super-elite oligarchs so that the poor and vulnerable have a chance to thrive, telling the whole truth about our past and present history, etc.
Liberal voters prioritize values like building up the middle class, addressing the dangers of corporate monopoly and worker exploitation, being a good global neighbor and respecting human rights, strengthening security through international alliances and institutions, promoting democracy globally through aid and education, valuing good government — big enough to do what is needed in "the fierce urgency of now."
Conservative voters prioritize values like protecting individual freedoms, protecting property and privacy, protecting free and fair markets, strengthening security through a strong military, promoting entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, respecting time-tested institutions, and addressing the dangers of debt.
Traditionalist voters prioritize values like honoring hard physical labor and personal moral responsibility, strengthening and supporting family life with a special concern for children, mothers, and the elderly, standing strong for traditional moral qualities like marital fidelity, honesty, and neighborliness, defending democracy and the checks and balances provided by the constitution to resist tyranny, and celebrating the value of sincere faith and dedicated faith communities that seek the common good.
The Republican Party used to be the party of Conservative and Traditionalist voters. But over recent years, under the influence of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and their allies, many of our neighbors have been rendered so afraid and resentful that they have become vulnerable to the almost hypnotic manipulations of authoritarian leaders. Gradually, they have become fully-converted authoritarian followers.
As a result, their Conservative and Traditionalist values have been pushed aside, and the Republican Party has been completely taken over by Authoritarian voters with authoritarian values, forcing actual Conservatives and Traditionalists to renounce or differentiate from their party identity.
Most authoritarian values voters don't realize what has happened to them. They still think they are good Conservatives and Traditionalists. But they are not and have no idea that their support for Donald Trump and Mike Pence has made them unwitting authoritarian followers and therefore unintentional accomplices in the larger work of what Robert Mueller called "Iron Triangles," global networks of organized crime, corrupt government officials, and corporations (including banks and real estate developers who launder money).
Fully activated authoritarian leaders and followers are willing to lie, to cheat, to suppress votes, to violate the law, to employ violence, and to refuse to concede to verified election results. If that seems like an extreme statement, consider what we've seen from Donald Trump and Mike Pence, or ponder this recent tweet from Utah Senator Mike Lee: "Democracy isn't the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity (sic) are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that."
I am committed to constitutional democracy and see it as the best available path to liberty, peace, and prosperity. There are many roads to this commitment; mine is rooted in my faith, and in my theology as a Christian. Based on this commitment, I have joined with multifaith leaders from many traditions to urge people to vote. All of our values — progressive, liberal, conservative, and traditionalist — are at stake.
The authoritarians are not coming; they are here and in power, and they won't give it up without all of us integrating our best values and voting for a better future.
(For more on how authoritarians gain control and how to break free from that control, you may be interested in my podcast, Learning How to See and my short e-book, Why Don't They Get It?)
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