I love my family and my community and this journey we call life, but right now I’m pre-occupied by love of my country. I believe our nation is the most promising experiment yet devised by humans to organize around common good. But the recent election brought a seismic mandate for change, and we have tremendous responsibility to assure that it brings us closer to fulfilling our national promise.
I hope and believe that the unexpected magnitude of the electoral shift means we have learned that self-service and arrogance are incompatible with our principles. It may be a tempting time to follow the current administration’s playbook of retribution and revenge, but that will not serve us in transition and could once again jeopardize the entire experiment.
So how do we navigate back to a functioning democracy (I know, we’re really a constitutional republic!) where we can debate policies and actions without being distracted by incivility and anger? Where we value truth over falsehood, equality over personal privilege, mercy over cruelty, diversity over divisiveness, democracy over autocracy and enjoy an economy based on capitalism with a conscience that works for all who follow the rules?
My answer is love. I think the values above precisely reflect the essential teachings of Christianity and Judaism and Islam and all other spiritual traditions that reach for increased consciousness and a better world. Let’s help each other stay grounded in love as we continue to build this shining city on the hill.
Keith Porter
Grass Valley