By the time I publish this, the polls will be closing or closed in half the nation. The vote will be done for 2012. The counting, well that could still be a while.
There are two outcomes for today for you, and it doesn't matter if you voted for the big two or a third party:
Your guy won.
Your guy lost.
What do you do now, no matter what your result?
Your Guy Won
Let's face it, elections have been influenced by NFL fans. I expect to see only an increase in body paint in future elections as fans (and let's face it, that's what many of them are) of their candidate identify more and more with their candidates.
And so, today, roughly half or a little more, of the nation will identify with the winner. They will celebrate, they will be happy, they will probably do a victory dance. But, like the NFL and the NCAA, excessive celebration can and should be penalized.
Here's why: as divided as we are, spiking the football in the face of the losing parties will not bridge that divide. It is OK to be glad, excited, relieved, and even exuberant that your candidate won. But please be civil. Please be good winners. It is not the time to taunt, to mock, to humiliate or to denigrate. Bipartisanship should not be just a buzzword used to get elected, it should be an endeavor that we all strive for. There needs to be compromise from both sides- and no matter what they say, neither really has in the last decade at least. But there needs to be that same spirit of bipartisanship amongst we the people.
That can't happen if we are jerks to the guys who didn't win.
And elections are not about winning- they are about earning the privilege to serve and lead this nation. You play football to win the Super Bowl- it's OK to be a little bit of an annoying fan if your team wins because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't change the world. It doesn't affect the things that make life happen.
But winning the election matters. It is a grave and serious and (should be) a humbling victory. As a minister, I say the greatest honor, and most humbling, is to be asked to preside over a funeral. People have trusted me with the final words over their loved one- I am tasked with honoring the wishes of someone not there and providing comfort to those left behind. There is no room for me to arrogant and make it about me.
Nor is there room for arrogance or selfishness in leading the country.
I hope the candidate who wins displays that. But if they don't, then let us as "we the people" show them how it's done.
Your Guy Loses
Don't be a sore loser.
Unless there is clear and solid proof of shenanigans, don't whine about "unfairness."
It is acceptable, and understandable that you feel discouraged. You can even be angry. But the same rule applies to the losers as the winners- don't act in a manner that makes working together impossible. It is OK to despise the policies that the other guy has, you can even actively and legally work to see those policies stopped- that is the beauty of democracy. But there will also be a need for compromise.
Be civil in your social media interactions, even be gracious losers. Maybe take a break from talking politics with your friends and family who backed the winner. And above all else, seek peace.
I must admit- I am a bit fearful. I hope I am wrong, but I fear that no matter who wins, we will see things we've not seen in the modern history of this nation: protests, threats, and maybe even riots. I say that not because I am feeling the atmospheric pressure of the election climate- I say that because those things have already been promised. There have been tweets threatening riots, even threats to assassinate the winner. We are a divided nation, and we are angry.
And if the election is contested? Or there are irregularities? Or, what if one candidate wins the electoral college but loses the popular?
Things will get crazy.
So, what do I say?
I want people to be civil. I want people to have excitement if their candidate wins, but I want them to temper that excitement with the knowledge that the job is not done, it is just beginning. I want people to learn to agree to disagree again. I don't want violence to came about because of an election. We are the United States- not one of the many countries in the world where these actions are commonplace following elections. We are better than that.
As Christians, we need to lead the way in this new dawn, regardless of who wins. We need to be better than petty arguments, character assassinations, threats, and making a political party equal to the Scripture we follow.
And what if America falls? What if the candidate elected does turn us to socialism or return us to failed economic policies that destroy the nation?
Our nation has been torn apart before, she has been on the verge of death before. She was almost not even born a couple centuries ago. But she survives. Because people believe in her. Because, on a rare occasion, a politician rises to bring things together again- like Washington and Lincoln. Because on far more frequent occasions, teachers, pastors, moms and dads, store owners, business people, custodians, bus drivers, farmers, soldiers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and others like them rise up and make a difference. Because they find something worth fighting for.
For Christians, the thing worth fighting for- and I mean taking a stand, not taking up arms- is a relationship with Christ. And I believe that if we want to spread that message to the world, a free and civil America is the best place to launch out from.
I pray that we lead the way- not for our glory, but for His.
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