Dear America,
What a roller-coaster of emotions we've experienced. What a carnival of unknown thrills or chills awaits us in the years to come.
To the people - the friends, the neighbors, the family, the loved ones - who voted Trump, to those who are angry that he is not being welcomed, who resent being called racists, misogynists, bigots, and or homophobes:
Even if I know you, I don't know your story. I can't understand what anger or fear, or even what hope for change, may have motivated you to overlook the racist, ableist, homophobic, islamophobic, violent comments that continually filled his campaign. I want to believe that your values do not align with that hatred and intolerance. I want to believe that even if they do - you didn't know it because you've never been called out on it, and now that it has, you're willing to do something about it.
All I know is that I HOPE those views are NOT reflective of who you choose to be. I hope you don't see the rights of people who don't share your race, gender, religion, or sexuality as impediments to your own rights. I hope that you don't want to devalue their lives, opportunities, happiness and safety. I hope that you won't be among those who will be emboldened to assault or insult or threaten because you think they "deserve" to be treated as less than human, or because you know you'll be able to get away with it.
I do not hate you. I will not fear you.
To my fellow Christians, and specifically my fellow SDA's:
I am dismayed that we seem to believe that we can spread hope by cultivating hate, bring people into truth by shutting them out, or exemplify God's love by consistently focusing on who and what it is that He hates. That is not the gospel I know. That is not the mission we were given.
And finally, to those who are scared, grieving, angry, embarrassed - those who tried to make their voices heard, and even those who didn't because they thought it wouldn't matter:
This is a wake-up call. A Bat-signal. A call to find your golden lasso, to strap on your boots, to pick up your shield. To join your Scooby-gang, your S.H.I.E.L.D. team, your Justice League, your pack. This is the birth - I hope - of an unprecedented number of heroes in our generation. As you start your hero's origin story, remember we are all built for connection, not separation. We cannot find happiness through anger. We cannot show love by showing hate.
Be kind. Be strong. Be hopeful. I'm pulling for you.
To the people - the friends, the neighbors, the family, the loved ones - who voted Trump, to those who are angry that he is not being welcomed, who resent being called racists, misogynists, bigots, and or homophobes:
Even if I know you, I don't know your story. I can't understand what anger or fear, or even what hope for change, may have motivated you to overlook the racist, ableist, homophobic, islamophobic, violent comments that continually filled his campaign. I want to believe that your values do not align with that hatred and intolerance. I want to believe that even if they do - you didn't know it because you've never been called out on it, and now that it has, you're willing to do something about it.
All I know is that I HOPE those views are NOT reflective of who you choose to be. I hope you don't see the rights of people who don't share your race, gender, religion, or sexuality as impediments to your own rights. I hope that you don't want to devalue their lives, opportunities, happiness and safety. I hope that you won't be among those who will be emboldened to assault or insult or threaten because you think they "deserve" to be treated as less than human, or because you know you'll be able to get away with it.
I do not hate you. I will not fear you.
To my fellow Christians, and specifically my fellow SDA's:
I am dismayed that we seem to believe that we can spread hope by cultivating hate, bring people into truth by shutting them out, or exemplify God's love by consistently focusing on who and what it is that He hates. That is not the gospel I know. That is not the mission we were given.
And finally, to those who are scared, grieving, angry, embarrassed - those who tried to make their voices heard, and even those who didn't because they thought it wouldn't matter:
This is a wake-up call. A Bat-signal. A call to find your golden lasso, to strap on your boots, to pick up your shield. To join your Scooby-gang, your S.H.I.E.L.D. team, your Justice League, your pack. This is the birth - I hope - of an unprecedented number of heroes in our generation. As you start your hero's origin story, remember we are all built for connection, not separation. We cannot find happiness through anger. We cannot show love by showing hate.
Be kind. Be strong. Be hopeful. I'm pulling for you.
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