Torch Column: Reverendly Yours

17 January 2017

This week is it!!!! On Friday the 20th we will witness what is considered a hallmark of American democracy: the peaceful transition of power from an outgoing president to the incoming one. Peaceful does not describe my emotions. Perhaps fury and rage come closer. But what I do know is that the anticipation is over. No longer speculating about what might happen, we will be confronted with new policies head-on. Our country stands to learn a lot; we as individuals will learn much about ourselves.

Our living room picture window faces west with a clear unadulterated view of the source of where our weather originates. It’s a powerful experience watching a storm develop from afar, and then tracking it as it draws near. Knowing there is no escaping it, we check for candles, make sure that flashlights with strong batteries are accessible, the firewood has been collected and split, and that the dog has been walked while the ground is still dry.

We’ve been watching the political storm develop since November 8th. Sometimes we pretend it’s not really going to hit us; it’s still too far out. But even a stiff wind from Russia won’t derail this storm. It’s going to be an unavoidable blizzard bringing lost freedoms, lost health care, and lost concern for our neighbors. Darkness will descend; time for us to start to collecting a lot of candles. A lot! We’ll be burning them for a long time.

Following our Interfaith Prayer Service on Inauguration Day, I will hop a plane and seek sanity in Phoenix playing with my granddaughter just shy of two and a half. She loves to read, eat pizza, and run around naked. She has her life priorities straight, and I wonder if we shouldn’t all run around naked just to upset the expectations of the new administration. It will be our turn to show that we refuse to play by the rules of common decency. Imagine the tweets.

The next time we meet as a congregation, a new era will be upon us. It will be an era that demands much of us. Our mettle will be tested; our ideals challenged. The meaning of a progressive society turned upside-down. Perhaps this will force us to rebuild with a stronger foundation. But I have a faith to see us through the storm. We will hunker down together, doing the right thing for our neighbor and providing support for one another TRG