This past weekend, my son Kellen and I went for a bike ride through our neighborhood on our way to the “blue playground” as he calls it. During our 20-minute journey, we passed by a few neighbors. Some were driving, and we waved. Some were outside doing yardwork, and we said “hi.” And one family going for a walk looked at us and smiled as Kellen pedaled faster and faster.
Nothing exciting, right?
Just another November day in Gilbert, Arizona.
But as we as arrived at the blue playground, and Kellen ran over to the swings, doing his best Superman impression, I reflected upon what these interactions could have looked like from behind a computer screen.
Maybe instead of smiling at each other, we would have used the angry emoji at the latest political posting.
Maybe instead of a polite wave, we would’ve unfriended each other because we backed different candidates.
Maybe instead of saying hi, we would have argued, and argued, and argued some more.
I gave up posting about elections 4 years ago after I saw how destructive it can be. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done well. And as I’ve scrolled through my feed these past few months, I’ve seen friends who have done it well. But I’ve seen many who have not.
Finally, this election is over. No more print ads in the mail that go straight into your recycle bin. No more debates that leave you with more questions than answers. And no more disturbing TV ads that cause you to scramble for the mute button on your remote.
For 4 more years, you don’t get another say in who the president will be.
But you do get a say in who you will be.
A week ago, most of us watched Game 7 of the World Series between Cleveland and Chicago. I’m not a fan of either team (which is pretty much how I felt about this election), but I am a fan of baseball. And I couldn’t help but smile as I scrolled through my feed. There were fans on both sides. And they both wanted their team to win. There was passion, excitement, nervousness…And at the end of it all, when the Cubs finally won, there was mutual respect.
Some of you may be excited about who won this election. Some of you may be nervous about what the next 4 years will look like. But can we all agree on one thing?
Our elected leaders do not determine who we are. We control our own attitude. We control our own behavior. And we can make the choice to truly love our neighbors, both online and off.
So stand for what you believe in. Be as bold as you need to be. But recognize that our elected leaders only play one role in transforming our world
True transformation begins in you.
