Now. Tomorrow. And the day after.
© Rabbi Menachem Creditor
The inclination to find middle ground, a beautiful, noble mindset that speaks to and from within the Divine spirit in all people, is going to have to wait.
Middle ground, the art of compromise, is theoretically possible. I believe in it. After all, my faith in God can be understood as there being truths beyond me.
But.
In a climate defined by:
- the pervasive image of a bully occupying the White House, belittling those called to hold him accountable
- the contamination of the Executive Office by a thinly disguised and a decades-long resume of reckless greed
- a Congress whose first two acts since the election have been the proposed elimination of their own Ethical Oversight and the likely stripping of millions of Americans' Healthcare (both actions taken in the middle of the night, behind closed doors)
- an emboldened American White Nationalism, with influence in the administration (manifest in the disrespect shown yesterday by Republican Congressional leaders towards prominent African American senators)
- the understandable (and also unacceptable) despair touching the hearts of millions of marginalized Americans (and millions more who look to American democracy for hope)
We must pledge, every day - Every. Day. - to resist normalization of all of this. This is not a "new normal." We are not - YOU ARE NOT - allowed to give in to despair, to see civic engagement as futile. We will, with deep respect and fervent prayer and non-violent deed, preserve and support our Democracy.
Looking for concrete actions?
-Call your elected officials when you are worried by or proud of them.
- Attend to your Houses of Worship to commune with fellow people and with God. (Attend even if you don't believe. True faith isn't about the externalized Divine - it's about the sanctity of every human being and the wonder of the world.)
- Marshal your community and family against hate when it raises its ugly head. (Do this especially when the target is someone different from you.)
- Boycott the Inauguration. Don't watch it. Pledge charity to the ACLU, Bend the Arc, Planned Parenthood, NAACP, and other holy organizations in honor of the Beloved Nation we will together rebuild.
Don't give up. You're not allowed. Build this world from #Love. Now. Tomorrow. And the day after.
We've got this, because we have each other.
Bless you all.
