I have only one phrase for this day, and no, it’s not: “Thank God it’s over.” 🙂
After campaigns that were too often filled with intentional disrespect, we need far more than a respite from the nasty. The nasty is not who we are…
We are the United States of America…
A country that has always recognized we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights…
A country that has always welcomed the huddled masses yearning to be free…
And a country that has always desired to secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and future generations.
Friends, come… let us reason together…
Let us reason together.
Let us not gloat.
Let us not despair.
Let us not dismiss…
Nor refuse for all to care.
We have some huge challenges in this country.
We get lost, as they are not as much about foreign policy, education, energy, the economy, and a plethora of social issues than they are in our inability — and our lack of desire — to come and reason together.
Reasoning together means wrestling with dissent.
Reasoning together means expressing dissent in respectful ways.
And reasoning together means everyone has a seat at the table.
Reasoning together suggests consideration more than compromise. It means listening and valuing other opinion. That process promotes respect; and respect promotes unity. Our challenge is that in recent years too many of our leaders — and too many of us — have allowed our country to operate as only the “States of America.” We have forgotten the united.
To be united is like a mighty mixed choir… there are sopranos and altos and tenors and basses. There are even second sopranos… baritones, too. And together they sing. They make beautiful music! But each has a different role — a role that is uniquely theirs, fitting with their circumstance and gifting; in fact, it would be incomprehensible to think a bass could sing the soprano line well; the role doesn’t belong to them. The idea is to do your job well — and not make light of any other.
In order for the choir to come together in perfect, sweet-sounding harmony — in unity, if you will — no voice can be too soft, or else we’ll never hear it; the chorus will be off, and the music simply won’t sound or even function right. Equally true, no less, is that no voice can be too loud, belting so demonstratively, that other parts are marginalized. No, in unity, there is no marginalization.
The only way the choir sounds beautiful is when all voices are valued and heard.
Come. Let us reason together.
Respectfully…
AR