Mark Finney: A time to heal after a divisive election season

By Mark Finney

The election is over, though the ballots are still being counted.

Now, it’s time to deal with the aftermath. Not just who won and what they will do with their newfound power, but what we will do with ours.

The one thing we know with absolute certainty right now is that 50% of America will be wounded, possibly resentful, and perhaps angry that their candidate did not win – the White House, or the seat in the state Legislature or on the county commission. They will also be afraid of what happens next, because much of this election season has been focused on stoking the worst fears of each constituency.

So, if 50% of your co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family members are going to be hurt, afraid, and grieving, what power might you and I have to help heal our divided communities and families? Here are a couple of suggestions:

Avoid the temptation to gloat if you won. Put the yard signs, bumper stickers, hats and buttons away (and do the same if your candidate loses). The election is over, so let’s go back to being friends and neighbors and coworkers.

Respect the grief process. Millions of people will be emotionally crushed by the outcome of this election. See them as the people they are who care deeply about the issues and freedoms they feel they are losing. Give them the space to grieve however they need to and demonstrate with your actions that you respect them as a person (even/ especially if you did not respect the person they voted for)

Reassert your commitment to community. Democracy is not about one person at the top dictating how we all live. It’s about the collective power of average people to make our communities a better place. Volunteer with your faith congregation, coach your kid’s basketball team, get a group of people to go pick up trash in your local park. Help less fortunate members of the community by working with organizations like Second Harvest, Family Promise or the Vanessa Behan crisis nursery. Reconnecting with our own agency in the world blunts the highs and lows of messianic expectations attached to presidential candidates.

Share a meal (or a coffee or a beer) with someone who voted differently than you. Don’t talk politics. Watch a Seahawks or Cougars game, or talk about the things you are grateful for or share about a good book or movie you recently experienced. Politics does not have to be the center of our identity or our relationships.

We need to remember that the things which unite us are more and stronger than the fears which have been used to divide us. We are all neighbors. We are all Americans. Most importantly, we are all humans. Let’s treat each other that way. It’s time to heal.

Mark Finney is executive director of Thrive International and pastor of Emmaus Church Spokane.