Like many people in the 2020 election season, I had some really passionate beliefs about who should win the American presidency. Like many people, I was sure my vote was “right.” I knew had chosen the “right” candidate who stood for the “right” issues. But the millions of other people who voted for the other candidates on the ballot also felt their votes and their candidates were “right.”
That election taught me that seeing some people as “wrong” hurts us all. Every individual is shaped by their circumstances, their families, their communities, and their experiences in the same ways I have been shaped by mine. Dismissing each other leaves no room for us to come together, to treat each other with love and respect. Now that the election is over, I will not stop listening. In fact, after this contentious election, I will listen more. I will step out of my comfort zone more.
I will start living like every year is an election year, like change is always possible, and like every moment is an opportunity to change minds and change hearts.
This message is an excerpt from a Women of the ELCA blog by Sarah Carson.
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