It’s time to put community over conflict

Our nation’s situation this week could be seen as a surprise, as President Donald Trump again outperformed opinion polls at the ballot box, and Democrats fell short of objectives many were sure they would meet.

But it really shouldn’t be that much of a shock. The unsettled election and the prospect of a drawn-out legal fight represent a perfect reflection of today’s politics: close to evenly divided and with polar opposite views of the world.

Furthermore, many people feared that a scenario like this would play out. It’s been the source of much speculation for months. Now it’s here.

The situation is regrettable for all. Joe Biden supporters who had waited four years to see Trump receive a harsh rebuke from voters are sorely disappointed. And the president’s supporters expecting a landslide to vindicate the incumbent aren’t getting what they want either. Once again it’s an excruciatingly tight race being decided in a handful of states.

But this battle over counting votes is potentially devastating for the nation as a whole. The only result we can guarantee at this moment is that half the nation’s body politic is going to enter 2021 convinced that the election was stolen from them.

We were in this same place in 2000, and it was ugly. Resentments have lingered in the years since a Supreme Court decision ended the dispute over the race between Al Gore and George W. Bush, but somehow the nation endured, even rallying together a few short months later in response to the 9/11 attacks.

Is it reasonable to expect something similar this time around? Considering our nation’s failure to unite in response to the coronavirus pandemic, there is good reason for skepticism. Nevertheless, we cling to hope.

It’s up to each of us to stay calm, let the process play out and start trying to plot a path forward. It’s time for people to realize that our years-long national shouting match has left so many of us demoralized and exhausted. If this election proved anything, it’s that all the energy expended on political combat since 2016 hasn’t changed many minds. The louder one side shouts, the more the other side digs in their heels.

Our communities consist of rural, suburban and urban areas in close proximity. Most of us see our political foes on a regular basis, even if we don’t necessarily realize it. No matter how strongly held one’s beliefs, we have an obligation to love our neighbors with whom we disagree rather than dream of arguing them out of existence. Our nation, state and communities cannot thrive in a constant state of conflict. It’s time for a different outlook.

Erick Erickson, a conservative commentator and evangelical Christian, put it well in an admonition to readers on the eve of Election Day:

“We have all obsessed with this election. We are all fretful. We all have an interest in it. But the homeless, the battered wife, the child, the hungry, and the isolated do not need a president, a senator, or a congressman. They all need your commitment to your local community. They need a neighbor’s love. …

“Scripture says to seek the welfare of the city in which you live. You can certainly do that with a vote, but a vote comes on one day every other year. On that day and every other day of the year, someone in your community is in need. …

“Both sides are convinced that if their guy loses, the country is going to hell in a handbasket. I assure you, despite the hysteria, that is not really the case. But it is the case that someone in your community is falling through the cracks and you can help.

“Seek the welfare of your community and please go love your neighbor today, tomorrow, and the day after that.”

That’s a message everyone should be able to embrace regardless of political views. It’s fine for one’s political allegiance to be an important part of one’s identity, but other things matter, too. Community should be at the top of the list. That’s especially true at this difficult time when so many are struggling to afford food, shelter and other basic needs.

Let’s focus on strengthening our community and stop this cold civil war.