The morning after

It would not be a stretch to call what happened on January 6, 2021, at the United States Capitol an act of insurrection. Hundreds if not thousands of citizens – some with weapons – broke windows, injured law enforcement, and forcibly entered one of the centers of our government.

Today we wake up with a national hangover, recovering from an overdose of fear.

Fear, one of the major catalysts for the insanity we witnessed yesterday in the hallowed halls of Congress.

Donald Trump is not the first person to harness fear, nor will he be the last. Many of his contemporaries do it as well, just not as effectively or overtly. It has been used by people throughout human history to obtain power, incite violence, and oppress others.

Let this be a wakeup call for our nation. Let this act of domestic terror shake us and open our eyes to the reality of our shared humanity.

Fear is like cancer, infecting one person at a time, sometimes slowly and quietly, other times quickly and with intensity. Fear causes us to focus on limited aspects of those not like us, seeing them not as a complex human beings, but as a two-dimensional icons, labelling them based on how they are different.

Yesterday’s events did not come out of nowhere. Donald Trump did not create the fear which fueled yesterday’s attempt to intimidate or even overthrow our government. But he exacerbated it. He exploited it. He utilized it for his own motives, whatever they may be. We can try to guess, but only he knows why he stoked the fires of fear and hatred and quietly stood by and watched yesterday like Nero as Rome burned.

In less than two weeks, Donald Trump will no longer be President. No, I don’t hate President Trump. I have always hoped he would succeed as President. I wanted him to do right in his role as leader of our nation. Even in his waning days, I wished he would have changed his tone.

I do not write these words today to relitigate the election. That has been done enough. I am not here to debate whether or not the election was stolen. The evidence seems relatively clear. Regardless of which side of the argument one falls on, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as President on January 20, 2021.

Do we need to examine election procedures in our country? Yes. Every election includes a handful of irregularities and occurrences of fraud. We should always seek to improve as a nation.

But today, in the midst of a national hangover, let us reach into the proverbial medicine cabinet and grab the medication which has remained unopened for too long.

What is in that bottle?

Respect. Concern. Humility. Compassion. Mercy. Love.

It doesn’t matter which side of the debate you fall on, extend an open hand, not a fist. Offer your heart, not hatred. Engage in discussion, not derision.

In 1 John 4, the author pens these words: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

When we love one another, fear loses its power.

Love does not mean we avoid difficult discussions; it actually makes them more fruitful. Love does not mean we deny consequences; it calls for justice and mercy in dealing with others. Love does not mean we all agree; it provides a place for peaceful disagreement.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” What we saw yesterday was not handling conflict by peaceful means. It was a crowd fueled at least partially by fear, wielding violence and coercion in an attempt to force their will upon others.

It is the morning after, America. Let go of fear. Love your enemy. Look out over a nation filled with millions of human beings longing for peace. We really aren’t as different as we seem. Let us come together, embracing our diversity and seeking the best for all people.

This morning the sun rises once again on this imperfect nation seeking to create a more perfect union.